Before Their Time
by Blackholeoflogic
Summary: "It's just like a movie but there's not a happy ending" RWBY characters meet an untimely demise is in a wide variety of situations. Stories range from heroic sacrifice to dark tragedy. "These little fairy tales don't seem to end well..."
1. Consequences

Before Their Time Chapter 1: Consequences

* * *

Ruby sat alone on the edge of her bunk, slowly turning the picture over and over in her hands. She felt like the two girls staring back at her from the frame were strangers, barely recognizable shadows a distant past. The picture was her and Yang, the day Yang had taken her out to train her in hand-to-hand combat. The day Yang had saved her from an ursa. It showed a battered and bruised Yang being helped up the path to the house, leaning heavily on Ruby's shoulder, all the while protesting that she was "Perfectly fine, and definitely not needing my little sister's help." That had been three weeks before "The Incident". Three weeks before Ruby's life had been irrevocably turned upside down.

* * *

A knock on team RWBD's door jerked her out of her reverie.  
"Ruby," Dove Bronzewing's muffled voice came from the other side. "Ruby, a man is out here, he says you're expecting him."

Ruby knew who it was, and Dove was right, she had been expecting, or rather, dreading, his arrival for an hour. The door cracked open, and a familiar face under a shock of unruly black hair peaked in.

"Hey kiddo. It's now or never." It would have to be now, then, Ruby thought.

She shoved the picture back under her pillow, stood, and walked resolutely to the door. Qrow pushed it open, and Ruby walked under his arm and into the hallway. Blake and Dove stood a respectful distance away. Ruby glanced their way, and nodded gratefully at them. Weiss's absence did not surprise her. Between her three teammates, she had taken Ruby's secret the worst. Blake had been sympathetic, understanding. She said she knew what it was like. Dove had been professional about it all, assuring Ruby that he didn't blame her for any of it. Weiss had been... distant. Not outwardly judgemental, but cautiously neutral. Besides them and the teachers, nobody else in Beacon had any idea that Ruby Rose, respected team leader and model student, was the sister of Yang Xiao-Long, the infamous convicted murderer.

* * *

"Yang? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's a long story"

When the windows of The Club had exploded into the street, and Yang and some man had crashed down at Ruby's feet, she had assumed, of course, that Yang had heroically defeated some dastardly criminal enterprise. When the Vale Police Department swarmed the area, looking for a blonde huntress, Ruby had helped Yang try to evade detection. Four blocks from the wreckage of the club, when VPD officers had spotted them, and Yang was arrested, Ruby had been outraged. A gross misunderstanding! After all, they were huntresses. Heros. Starting Beacon in less than two weeks. Ruby left the police station with her father, promising Yang that she would return to pick her up in the morning.

But the morning came, and with it came a sobering reality. Yang was accused of assaulting Junior, the owner of The Club, without provocation, destroying the interior of the building, and viciously beating the entire security staff. Junior would live, though his injuries were severe. His security was not so lucky. Without the benefit of aura, three of them had died under Yang's crushing blows. Another clung to life in the Vale General ICU. One man would never walk again. Yang faced three counts of homicide, fifteen counts of aggravated assault, and one count of malicious destruction of property.

* * *

"You should know that she doesn't want you to come." Qrow finally spoke, breaking the silence that had lain thick between them as they walked through Beacon and out to the Bullhead pads. Ruby kicked at a pebble, and watched as it bounced across the concrete.

"I know," she replied quietly, studying the laces of her shoes. "But," she continued more earnestly, looking up into Qrow's face, "I'm going anyway. I'll regret it forever if I don't."

Qrow only grunted in response, and took a pull from his ever-present flask. He opened the hatch of an idling Bullhead, and motioned Ruby to climb in. Qrow followed her into the passenger compartment, and as she took her seat, he rapped on the door to the cockpit. "Private flight," he guestured at the empty seats around them. "Called in a favor from a pilot I saved out of a crash in the Grimmlands a year ago."

Ruby said nothing. She flopped into the nearest seat, mechanically fastened the restraint harness, and stared out the window as the Bullhead rose, and Beacon fell away in the distance.

* * *

"But dad, she can't just... I mean... there has to be a good explanation! She can't, she wouldn't, just... DO that!" Ruby paced the floor of the kitchen, nearly hysterical with anger and worry and confusion. "They must have attacked her, must have faked the video! We have to do something!"

"Ruby. Sit." Tai sat at the table, his head resting on one hand and an open letter in the other. The letter was from Yang, drafted by her lawyer and signed in her own unmistakable scrawl. In it, Yang admitted to everything she was charged with, telling her father and sister that she intended to plead guilty to the charges to spare the family the humiliation of a drawn-out trial. She said Junior's security cameras had the entire incident on tape, and she had no hope beating the charges. As if this wasn't bad enough, Yang begged Ruby to stay away from any hearings, pointing out that she would be starting Beacon soon and that association with a convicted killer would be a poor way to start in a new school.

Ruby flopped into a chair opposite her father, her emotional energy spent. Tai reached across the table, and took one of her hands. "Ruby, sometimes people we love do things we can't understand. I had to learn this lesson with Yang's mother. Raven was dangerous, and a criminal. I loved her anyway. I ignored what she was and what she had done hoping she had changed, but in the end, she chose her old ways over me, and over her daughter. I don't hate her for it, but we have to accept the facts of life as they come before us no matter how hard it might be. You chose to be a Huntress. In our line of work, hard choices and unhappy endings are more common than glorious victories."

"But Yang isn't dangerous, or a criminal. She's... my sister." Ruby's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I know, Ruby, I know." Tai stood, rounded the table, and hugged his youngest daughter.

"What can I do now?" Ruby questioned.

Tai sighed. "You can love her, Ruby. It's all you can do now."

* * *

Ruby did more than that. In the following days, she bombarded Vale's justice system with a solo letter-writing campaign. Politicians, lawyers, police officers, judges, all received earnest handwritten letters from Ruby Rose begging for clemency at Yang's sentencing, and detailing all the good that Yang could do as a Huntress. Tai was quietly supportive, giving Ruby a shoulder to cry on and carrying her too bed when she fell asleep at the table, pen still clutched in her hand. Qrow was there for her too, when he wasn't drunk at least.

The news media was relentless. "Huntress Brutally Murders Three in Club Brawl!" Headline after headline shrieked Yang's guilt, and well-dressed pundits with slicked-back hair pontificated about the relations between hunters and the general population. Inevitably, somebody linked Yang to Tai and Ruby. When Lisa Lavender dropped by unannounced, asking for an interview, Tai decided Ruby should move to Vale with Qrow so no reporter could corner her on the street in Patch.

The next two weeks passed in a miserable blur. The day came for Ruby to start Beacon, but what should have been the greatest moment of her life had turned to ash in her hands, and her feet drug as she boarded the airship that was to take her to Beacon. She met Wiess Schnee, then Blake Belladonna and Dove Bronezwing. They got along well enough, but Ruby never breathed a word about Yang. The letters continued, written covertly and smuggled into mailboxes outside of Beacon. Yang's case was well known in the hunter community. The students of Beacon referred to her with sneers and contempt, as if anxious to prove to themselves and each other that they were different from "Her". Ruby did her best to ignore it, trying to bury herself in her school work and combat training. She would show them. Eventually, they would see. They all would see.

* * *

"Entering Vale airspace. Arrival at Vale Max Security in three minutes." Qrow's pilot alerted them with the cabin intercom as the Bullhead soared over the city.  
Ruby turned to Qrow and spoke for the first time since they had left Beacon. "Will dad be there?"

"No. Yang wrote him another letter, asking both of you to stay away. She said it would be better for you, and for her. Most of what she wrote is for you, but she said not to give it to you 'til... after. She cares a lot about you Ruby, more then you realize. All she wants is for you to succeed. Do what she can't."

Ruby swallowed hard. "I want to see her."

Qrow ran his hand back thru his hair. "They'll let you, for a few minutes at least. I can't say if it's a good idea or not, but I won't stop you. Any idea what you're going to say?"

Ruby shrugged miserably. "No," she admitted. "What would you say?"

Qrow leaned over, and placed his hand on Ruby's knee. "Kiddo, I can't pretend it to know what it's like to be in the position you're in. I can't tell you what to say. Best as I see it, you should say what you would want to hear if you were her, and she was you. Make sense?"

Ruby nodded, not trusting her voice. She dropped her hand on Qrow's, and turned to look back out the window.

* * *

Ruby scooped up her book bag, loaded with her latest volley of clemency appeals addressed to anybody who she thought might have an ounce of pull with the Vale Justice Commission. She glanced around her dorm. Wiess, of course, sat at her desk, studying for an exam so far away nobody else had even bothered to take notes for it yet. Blake lay in her bunk, reading one of those books that she closed whenever anybody else got too near.

"I'm going out for a bit," Ruby announced cheerfully. "Headed into town, going to pick up some parts I ordered for Crescent Rose." Another excuse, one of many reasons she'd fabricated to explain her frequent trips into Vale to deposit her letters.

"Have fun," Blake replied distractedly, never looking away from her book.

Weiss turned in her chair. "Why don't you get your supplies delivered directly to Beacon like the rest of us? You're always going into Vale for one thing or another."

"Oh, I just have my favorite weapons shop and the owner there is always nice to me so I always get my things from him," Ruby explained lightly. This part of the story, at least, was completely accurate.

Weiss turned back to her book with a wave of her hand. "Do whatever you like, just don't forget your homework for Oobleck's class tomorrow."

Ruby started for the door, but had only made it halfway when the door was opened from the hallway, and Dove walked in holding a copy of Huntsmen Weekly. "Hey guys," he said, closing the door behind him and waving the magazine, "Check this out. Breaking news from this morning, that Xiao-Long girl that killed those guys in the bar fight got the death sentence. Guess the teachers weren't kidding when they said the justice system comes down hard on hunters who hurt civilians."

He tossed the magazine on the desk beside Weiss, the blaring headline "Huntress Sentenced to Die for Triple Homicide" upturned for all to see.

Ruby froze. Her entire body seemed to have turned to ice. She barely registered Wiess saying, "Serves her right, her actions were barbaric and unprovoked. She's no better than a common criminal, maybe worse."

"No." Ruby's voice was a strangled whisper. "Oh, no. No no no no no. Not Yang." Her voice rose to a near scream. "No! I won't let them!"

Ignoring the shock of her teammates, Ruby exploded towards the door in a shower of rose petals. As she tore the door open, she heard the window of the dorm room shatter. A huge crow shot past Blake, and to everybody's amazement, shape-shifted into a man in a blur of motion. The black-haired newcomer grabbed Ruby as she sprinted from the room, and drug her back inside.

"Hey!" Wiess demanded, "Just what do you think you are doing?"

Weiss, Blake, and Dove lept to confront the intruder and his apparent kidnapping attempt. Ruby was frantically running and twisting and clawing, trying to escape his iron grip.

"Stand down, all of you!" The man shouted. "I'm Ruby's uncle, I'm here to help!"

Myrtlemyster hovered a foot from Qrow's nose. "You're what?" Wiess demanded, but nobody was paying attention to her anymore. Ruby was hysterical, sobbing and babbling.

Dove stared in confusion. "Was it something I said?"

Qrow pulled Ruby into a hug, calming her and muffling her sobs against his chest. Blake walked past Weiss, pushing the tip of her rapier down with one hand. "The girl in the news. Ruby knows her."

Qrow scooped Ruby up, and sat down on the nearest bunk bed with the crying girl in his lap. "Yeah. You could say that. It's her sister."

Weiss's mouth opened and closed several times, but words failed to form. Blake turned away, terrible memories of her own secrets flooding into her mind. Dove rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Oh boy. This, this is going to be complicated."

"We have to stop them!" Ruby sobbed. "We can't let them kill Yang!"

Qrow looked up at Ruby's teammates. "Out. Wait in the hall, go jogging, read Blake's books together, I don't care, just go be somewhere else. And if any of you breathe a word about this to anybody else, I promise you, I will feed you to a deathstalker." He didn't have to tell them twice. Wiess, Dove and Blake practically ran from the room.

Once they were alone, Qrow turned his attention to Ruby. "I need you to listen to me Ruby, and listen well."

"Ok," she sniffed.

"This isn't going to be easy for you to accept, and I would give anything for it not to be this way, but events have overtaken us. Believe me, I know what it's like to have a sister do things you can't justify. I wish I could shield you from this, but I can't. Yang is guilty of what she is accused of, the witnesses, the evidence, even her own testimony, it all condemns her. I looked at it myself. Broke into the crime scene the night after. It's exactly like they say. She walked into The Club, started a fight for no apparent reason, and killed three men. She's guilty."

"I know," Ruby said miserably. "But... a death sentence?" The words seemed to stick in her mouth as she looked imploringly into Qrow's face.

"Ruby, you know that the Vale Justice Commission takes a very hard line against Hunters that commit crimes against civilians. We're stronger, faster, combat trained. We swear to defend life and the law. Rouge huntsmen are second only to grimm as a threat to law and order. There's a new Attorney General, a man named Arthur Watts, and he insisted on the maximum penalty to set an example."

"But she can appeal, can't she?" Ruby asked hopefully.

Qrow nodded. "She can, and I'm certain her attorney will. But Ruby, don't expect her sentence to be commuted. It would be cruel and wrong of me to give you hope in that situation."

Ruby buried her face in Qrow's shoulder and cried. Qrow held her close, silently cursing whatever ill fates had led to this day. In the back of his mind, he knew this scene had played out in homes around Vale, when word had reached wives and children that their husband and father had been killed in a senseless brawl. There had to be a reckoning for that, Qrow knew it. But this? Was this what justice looked like?

A board creaked in the hall.

"Ok, I know you're there. Get back in here," Qrow called to the door.

Nothing. Qrow lost his temper.

Setting Ruby on the bed, he crossed the room in two long steps and threw the door open. He seized the arm of the figure outside the door, and jerked them into the room. Headmaster Ozpin caught himself on the corner of the table, and turned to face Qrow.

"Qrow. Why am I not surprised to find if you got here ahead of me?"

"You really need to be here, Oz? We're kind of having a moment."

"I do apologize for my inopportune arrival, but I was unaware that you had already beaten me here. I came straight here once I heard the... news."

Ruby slid from the bed, and came alongside her uncle. "Please, Headmaster, can't you do something to help Yang?"

Ozpin sighed. "I'm sorry Ruby, but Yang Xiao-Long wasn't ever officially a Beacon student. That limits whatever influence I may have had. That said, I will write a personal letter asking for her sentence to be commuted to life servitude in the Grimmlands Expeditionary Unit."

Qrow spat. "You and I both know that that's a death sentence by a different name."

"Please, Uncle Qrow, it's better than nothing." Ruby turned her wide silver eyes to Headmaster Ozpin. "Thank you. Now, I think I need to talk to my team."

"Professor Goodwitch has them in her office. We met them in the hallway, and decided it was best to keep an eye on them until we had a chance to talk to all of you together. I understand completely if you don't want the student body to be aware of your relationship to Yang Xiao-Long. Rest assured that none of the staff will reveal anything."

"Thank you. Uncle Qrow, please stay. I would like to talk to you more after I see Weiss, Dove, and Blake."

"Sure, kiddo. Whatever you need."

Ruby nodded gratefully, let herself out the door, and walked away in the direction of Glynda Goodwitch's office. After she left, Qrow turned to Ozpin. "Poor kid. I don't know what's worse, making her think there's a chance or telling her the truth." He took a swig from his flask. "Whole business is rotten."

Ozpin nodded. "A real shame. Yang Xiao-Long was one of the finest Huntress candidates I've seen in recent years. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've seen something like this happen, and it probably won't be the last. I'll write the letter for Ruby, but from what I know of Attorney General Watts, it's unlikely I'll be able to sway his opinion."

* * *

"This is as far as I'm going," Qrow said, crossing his arms and leaning against the unpainted the concrete wall. Twenty feet ahead of them, a series of heavy sliding gates barred the way into the maximum security wing. Three guards waited for them to approach.

"Can't you come with me?" Ruby's voice betrayed her grief and nervousness.

"Kiddo, it's best if I don't. This is something you need to do yourself, and besides, I tend to be bad luck in these kinds of situations."

Her uncle was right, Ruby decided. This one was on her. "Thanks for bringing me," she whispered. Then, gathering herself, she marched with all of the confidence she could fake up to the two guards on her side of the gate. "R-Ruby Rose, here to see Yang Xiao-Long."

"Identification, please." The guard held out his hand toward Ruby, and for a moment she thought she saw a hint of compassion on his face. She produced her Vale Identification Card, as well as her Beacon ID badge. The man took them, glanced them over, and gave them back. "We've been expecting you, this way."

The second guard flipped a switch, and the first gate slid open. Ruby followed the man through the gate. As it closed behind her with a metallic clang, she briefly wondered what the guard had meant about expecting her. Maybe Qrow had guessed what she would want and called ahead.

"Arms." The guard turned to her with a metal detector wand in his hand.

"Huh?"

He prodded her elbow with his wand. "Raise your arms, shoulder height."

Ruby complied without complaint, holding her arms out flat as the guard ran his wand up and down over her body. The metal detector gave off a piercing whistle as it passed over her waist.

Ruby shuffled her feet nervously. "Oh, that's probably just my Scroll."

"Sorry, Miss, there's no communication devices allowed beyond this point. You'll have to leave here."

"But I can't!" Ruby protested. "I..I.." Her voice failed her.

"Miss Rose, the guidelines are clear. Absolutely no communication devices in the maximum-security wing. I cannot allow you to proceed unless you give me your Scroll."

Ruby's composure broke. "I was going to take a picture!" She sobbed, looking pleadingly at the guard. "She's my sister, and I'm never going to see her again. Please, you have to let me keep my Scroll!"

The guard opened his mouth to argue, then closed it, and looked furtively back and forth. He had signed up to contain Vale's most violent criminals, not to break the hearts of sobbing little girls. "Ok. This is against my better judgment, but I'll let you keep it. Understand, I'm taking a very real risk to my job by letting you do this. Whatever you do, don't get caught."

"Thank you," Ruby sniffed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too..."

"It's ok," the guard assured her. He stepped to an intercom panel on the wall, and pushed a button. "Watkins. We're all clear in here. Open gate number two."

The second gate slid open with a clatter of gears, and the guard motioned for Ruby to follow. He led her out into a grim looking concrete-walled corridor, lit by dirty light fixtures. Heavy metal doors lined both walls, each leading into a max security cell block. Ruby stayed close on her escort's heels, feeling small and alone in this strange, unforgiving environment. Two-thirds of the way down the corridor, the guard stopped. He punched in a combination on the keypad of one of the doors, and it unlocked with a loud click. The door swung inwards, and Ruby followed him through it. She found herself facing another massive steel door.

"Wait here." The guard said without further explanation. He let himself through the second the door, and locked it behind him.

Ruby suddenly felt very much like a prisoner herself, trapped between two locked armored doors, in a small, cold room. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering miserably what Yang had thought when she had been thrown into a place like this. Had she found a way to make this environment liveable? Maybe she had made a friend. Maybe she worked out all the time. Ruby had seen an old prison movie once, and it seemed like everyone spent all their free time doing push-ups. Maybe... Wait. None of that mattered now, did it? Ruby laughed bitterly to herself. It was funny how all the things that seemed important in life lost their meaning when life itself was drawing to a close.

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted by the second door loudly unlocking again, and swinging open. She was expecting her garden, but instead three people interred the small room, suddenly making the space seem crowded. The two newcomers were another prison guard, and a short man in a black suit. An ornate white necklace hung about his collarbone, and he wore a small red cap. He nodded to Ruby as he passed.

"Miss Rose, this way." Ruby's guard called for her to enter the cell block. Gathering herself, she walked through the door with as much boldness as she could muster. As she walked between the rows of cells, she glanced to her right. A wolf faunus stared straight into her eyes through the thick glass window of his cell door. The man bared his teeth, revealing long canine fangs. His eyes were absolutely devoid of emotion, and Ruby felt as if she was staring into two deep pits of black ice water. Something about the man chilled her to her bones. She snapped her head back forward, and studiously avoided looking at any of the other cells as she followed the guard. He stopped in front of a door, and pressed the button on a speaker.

"Inmate 1665, place your wrists in the cell restraint device." A few seconds passed. "I am opening the door."

The cell door slid open at the flip of a switch, and of the prison guard stepped into the doorway. "You have another visitor."

"Ok." Ruby heard Yang's voice from in the cell, and her pulse quickened. The guard nodded at Ruby, and she stepped forward into the door.

* * *

Her breath caught in her throat. Gone was the vibrant, energetic huntress Ruby had know. Before her, with her wrists shackled to a pedestal in the middle of the cell, stood a dull, defeated shell of a woman. Worst of all, Yang's prized hair was now cut short, barely hanging past her jaw.

Ruby felt sick.

As the guard turned to leave, Ruby caught his arm. "Please, does she have to stay in... that?" Ruby nodded towards the restraint pedestal.

"Unless I stay with you, yes. I'm not bending the rules on this one, Miss. Like it or not, she's a dangerous criminal and I refuse to risk your safety and my job. You have a half an hour, at most." Without another word, he stepped out of the cell, and the door slid shut. Ruby turned to Yang.

"Ha. I should have known you wouldn't stay away," Yang commented in monotone without raising her eyes from the floor.

In a shower of rose petals, Ruby shot across the narrow cell and hugged Yang with enough force to throw her back against her restraints. "Oh, Yang, I'm so sorry! I wrote letters and I talked to Professor Ozpin and did everything I could think of and... and... I tried Yang, I really did! You've gotta believe me!"

"Ruby. Stop." Yang shifted her weight, pushing the smaller girl away from her.

"But Yang, I thought you would be happy that I never gave up on you." Ruby felt hot tears well up in her eyes.

"Don't you get it?" Yang snapped, jerking her head up and looking at Ruby for the first time. "You should have given up! I did! You should have been honest enough, enough of an adult, enough of a huntress, to accept that what I did was inexcusable, and I deserved whatever punishment they sentenced me to." Yang dropped her head again, as tears spilled from both girls' eyes. "I'm a monster."

"I don't care!" Ruby shouted, stamping her foot for emphasis. "You're still my sister, and that counts for something."

Yang shrugged. "If you say so. Please tell me dad isn't waiting out there somewhere."

"He's not," Ruby assured her. "Uncle Qrow brought me."

"Figures. Apparently he sent the priest that left just before you got here."

"I met a priest on my way here, I didn't think he was here to see you. You never seemed to care too much about that stuff before."

Yang laughed bitterly. "Maybe I should have."

Ruby shuffled her feet. "So... did it help?"

Yang looked up. "I think so. I guess I'll find out here soon enough. I know I did some bad things, but he said because I admit it, and I'm sorry for it, I can be forgiven for it."

"I forgive you, Yang," Ruby said earnestly. "And I'm sure that whatever comes after this, you'll... you'll find forgiveness there to." Ruby could barely finish through her tears.

"Now there Ruby, enough crying." Yang's voice changed, some of the old life sneaking back into it. "Tell me all about Beacon."

"Oh, it's alright. I'm the leader of team RWBD. My partner is a girl named Weiss Schnee, yes, the SDC heiress. Blake Belladonna and boy named Dove Bronzewing are the other two members. We all get along okay. It didn't start that way though. The first time I met Wiess, we almost exploded."

"You...what?"

"It was an accident!" Ruby launched into her story of meeting Weiss, and initiation, and all the things that went on in school. Yang listened, glad for the distraction and feeling more alive than she had in months. Ruby rattled on, talking about classes and teachers and her team. Abruptly, she stopped, faced Yang, and asked, "Why did you do it?"

Yang sighed. "I've been asking myself that question ever since. I'd like to say I felt threatened, or they tried to kidnap me, or something, but I can't. The truth is, Junior made me angry and I started the fight because I wanted to. After that, well, I guess it all just got carried away. I'm sorry, I know you deserve a better explanation than that."

Ruby turned away, her mind in a turmoil. She wanted to be angry, to scream at Yang, to demand she give a reason for the pain Ruby was in. She wanted to cry, to mourn the lost potential, snuffed out by a moment's loss of control. Ruby bit her lip until she tasted blood.

"Look, Ruby," Yang continued, "I know how much damage I've caused. I took innocent lives, left families grieving, broke your and dad's hearts, and I can't even say why. But if you'll listen, there is one thing I want to tell you."

"Miss Rose. Two minutes." The guards voice came through the speaker by the door.

Ruby spun around, a panicked light in her eye. "It's not too late, Yang! I could overpower the guard, take his keys. We can get you out of here. You could run away, go to Vaccuo maybe. We could..."

"Ruby!" Yang's voice was surprising sharp. "Stop it. Even if that was possible, I wouldn't let you ruin your life to save me from punishment I deserve. Now come here, and listen."

The truth of Yang's words cut through Ruby's panic. Deflated, she crossed the cell to Yang. Slipping under the taller girls arms, she stood up between Yang and the restraint pedestal and hugged her with all the strength in her body.

"That's better." Yang inhaled deeply, smelling Ruby's hair. "Ahhh. I remember you hugging me like this when you were little. You would always say you were going to be a huntress, like your mom, and go save the world. Guess in the end, we both ended up like our moms. Don't ever forget what that little girl used to say. Grow up, be a huntress, be a hero, save as much of the world as you can. You're going to have to do it for both of us. I'll be watching you, sis, don't let me down like I've let you down."

Ruby stifled a sob into Yang's bosom. "I won't," she promised. "I'll make you proud. I'll never forget you, Yang."

"Miss Rose. Please stand in front of the door."

"Time to go, Ruby. Tell anyone who still cares that I'm sorry, and I love them."

Ruby reluctantly loosened her grip, and stepped away from Yang. "I will. I'll always love you, Yang, no matter what."

"Ruby, I need you to promise me one thing before you go. Please, don't come to... to the execution. I don't want you to see that. I want you to remember me like I am."

Ruby nodded as she stepped to the door. "Goodbye, Yang."

"Goodbye, Ruby."

The door slid open. "This way, Miss Rose." Ruby turned, and walked from the cell. The door closed behind her, and Yang was gone forever. "Follow me," the guard said as he passed her and headed back the way they had come. Ruby threw her hood up over her head, and followed. She didn't remember much about the trip out of the cell block. She kept her eyes locked on the floor four feet in front of her, following close on her escort's heels. She was vaguely aware of two other guards passing them headed in the opposite direction. Doors opened and closed, and before she knew it she was standing back outside the outer gate where she had left Qrow.

Ruby was emotionally drained. She wanted to leave, to run, to put as much distance between her and this wreched place as possible. Even where she stood now, in the atrium outside maximum security, the drab walls and grey ceiling felt suffocating.

"You ok, kiddo?" Qrow walked over to Ruby and dropped his hand on her shoulder.

"No," she responded in a small voice. "Let's get out of here."

Qrow settled his arm around her shoulder, and guided her to an elevator on the other side of the room. A uniformed guard wordlessly opened the door, and let them enter. Once the door had closed, and the elevator was climbing toward the rooftop landing pad, Ruby relaxed, letting out a long breath.

"How'd it go?" Qrow asked.

"It went." Ruby responed. "We talked about..." Ruby suddenly went stiff with a gasp and threw a hand over her mouth.

"What's wrong, kiddo?"

Ruby stared straight ahead in horror, not saying a word. She had completely forgotten to take a picture with Yang. Then, she remembered the last words Yang had said to her. "I want you to remember me like I am." Ruby realized she didn't want to remember Yang like that. The Yang she had seen in the cell was a shadow of what her sister had been. That wasn't the Yang she was going to remember. The Yang she was going to remember was the Yang in the picture under her pillow. Ruby let her hand fall back to her waist, and looked up into Qrow's concerned eyes. "It's ok. Nothing's wrong. It worked out like it should have."

Qrow said nothing, but held Ruby closer to him. The elevator doors slid open, and the pair emerged into the brisk Autumn afternoon. Their bullhead sat on the pad, engines already idling. Qrow helped Ruby in, and the aircraft climbed away from the prison.

Ruby say in silence as the bullhead carried her back to Beacon. She tried to process what had happened. She was glad she had gone. That had been a risk, but one well worth taking. It had been hard, traumatic even, but Ruby would have done it again in a heartbeat. The bullhead finally slowed, and settled with a bump on the Beacon landing pad. Ruby stood, and turned to Qrow. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow. I'll never forget you helping me."

"I'm always here for ya, kiddo. You're strong, you're going to be fine. Now go, your team is waiting for you."

Her team? Ruby looked out a window, and saw Wiess, Dove, and Blake at the edge of the pad. She took a deep breath, and pushed the door of the bullhead open. Wiess waved as Ruby climbed down. Ruby smiled. Life went on.

* * *

Yang smiled. Her life was nearly over, but she more at peace now than she had been since that fateful night at the Club. She was glad Ruby had ignored her request not to come. It had been good to say some of what she had written to Ruby in person. A small, selfish part of her was glad that there was at least a few people left who would mourn her. She felt terrible for the pain she had caused, not only for the families of the men she had killed, but especially for her dad and Ruby. But Ruby was strong, and Yang knew she would be o.k. That was all that mattered now.

Yang still stood in the center of her cell, her wrists shackled in the restraint post. The fact that the guard had not released her when Ruby left, like he had after the priest had gone, made Yang think the end was near. She wasn't wrong. Less than 5 minutes after Ruby had been taken away, her cell door slid open again, and two guards entered, one of them carrying a set of wrist and ankle irons. The one without the restraints stopped directly in front of her.

"Inmate 1665. Pursuant to the capital sentence decreed by the Vale Justice Commission, you will now be transferred to the penetentiary execution facility for final termination. Do as we say, and we'll make this quick and easy. Now, stand with your feet 6 inches apart."

"Ok." It was all Yang could think to say. She slid her feet closer together. The guard with the restraints knelt behind her, and fastened the heavy ankle irons around her legs. A short chain linked the two cuffs, limiting her stride to 2 feet at most.

"No running now," Yang thought.

"I am going to release your left wrist. Do not attempt to resist, or we will subdue you with all necessary force." The guard unlocked the restraint on Yang's left arm, gripping her forearm firmly as he did so. Yang relaxed, letting him bend her arm behind her and hold it against small of her back. She wondered how many condemned fought back at this point, struggling against the inevitable. She guessed many did, with nothing left to lose. Yang stood compliant as the first of the wrist shackles was clamped around her arm. She knew struggling now would only lead to unnecessary pain for her, and wouldn't change anything in the end. These men were just doing their job, no reason to make it hard on them all. The guard unlocked her right arm, and guided it around to join her left. The second cuff was clamped on, securing her arms behind her. A small chain ran from the wrist cuffs to the ankle cuffs, further limiting her motion.

The guard who had spoke before came to stand in front of Yang again. "As a Class 2 aura user, you have the choice of pre-execution aura breaking. Do you wish this procedure to be implemented?"

Yang's lawyer had explained to her this question was always put to condemned prisoners with unlocked auras. For obvious reasons, having an unlocked aura could interfere with execution. But the execution would be completed, which had sometimes led to painful, prolonged deaths. Now, the option was given for auras to be sapped in advance, usually by a sharp beating with shock batons. Yang had considered this, and had her answer ready.

"No. I'll face my execution without it. It's best for it to only hurt once."

"As you wish. Walk."

The gaurd behind Yang gripped her elbow, and gave her a light push forward. As she walked out of her cell, she felt an unexpected sense of loss, like she was seeing a friend for the last time. As strange as it may have seemed to anyone else, her cell had been her sanctuary. Here there had been no guards shouting orders, no reporters with their cameras and questions, no judges thundering condemnation. Here, like nowhere else, Yang had enjoyed a measure of peace.

"Hey, Blondie!" The shout came from a cell occupied by another death row inmate, a short lizard faunus. "Save me a chair at the beauty parlor!"

"See you soon, Jax," Yang called over her shoulder.

Six months ago, Yang would have recoiled from a man like Jax, a convicted serial killer. Now, their shared fate allowed her to share a moment of macabre humor with someone she should have regarded with nothing but loathing. The significance of this was not lost on Yang as her escort ushered her into an elevator at the end of the Maximum Security cell block.

"Too everyone else in Vale," she thought, "I'm just like Jax. A monster, just waiting my turn for final justice. But I'm not really like him, am I? Right?"

Doubt crept into Yang's mind as the doors closed. How many bad things did a good person have to do before it made them a bad person? Yang it did her best to push the thought from her mind. It didn't really matter now. The elevator climbed slowly, and Yang flexed her fingers against her hand handcuffs. Doing something, anything, with her hands helped to distract her from the reality of the situation. She found that if she turned her wrists inward, and pulled up, she could keep tension on the chain running from her hands to her feet, and thereby keep the leg irons from rattling. That was good.

DING!

Yang flinched. The noise alerting the riders they had reach their destination seemed as loud is a gunshot in the oppressive silence of the car. The guard beside her spoke without turning to look at her.

"Your execution will proceed as soon as we exit the elevator. You will be given an opportunity to make a short statement. Witnesses will be able to hear and see you, but they will be behind mirrored glass so you will not be able to see or hear them. Comply with all instructions, and we will ensure your end is as efficient and painless as possible."

"Thank you," was all Yang managed to reply. She expected to be ushered forward immediately, but nothing happened. After a minute of tense waiting, she gathered the nerve to speak. "I'd prefer if we could just get on with it."

The guard checked his watch. "Execution isn't scheduled for another five minutes. They'll open the door when they're ready for us."

"Five minutes," Yang thought to herself. It wasn't very long to live, but when all you had to do was stand around waiting to die, it seemed like an eternity. Yang flexed her hands again, taking a deep breath. She idily wondered how many breaths she had left. Maybe she should count... No! She wasn't going to waste her last minutes like that. Yang closed her eyes and pushed her mind back in time, back to her early days on Patch.

She remembered playing on the beach when Ruby was barely old enough to walk. She remembered making cookies with Ruby and Summer Rose, then eating those cookies with Ruby as they sat on the porch waiting for Summer to come back home. Summer hadn't come back, and Yang had taken on the role of older sister/mom to the devastated Ruby. Ever since both girls were little, it just seemed obvious that they would both become huntresses. Yang remembered Ruby cheering and screaming from the sidelines when Yang had won her first tournament at Signal Junior Huntsman Academy. That had been a good day. Ruby had followed her to Signal, and the two girls had trained side by side as they prepared for their career as huntresses.

"What a waste," Yang thought, allowing self-pity to creep in. "All that work, the sacrifice. And this is where it ends? I had plans! Dreams!"

"The men you killed had dreams too," a voice in the back of her mind pointed out. Yang ground her teeth in frustrated anger. The logical part of her mind knew she had brought this on herself, but to truly accept that when an elevator door was the only thing separating her from execution was another matter entirely.

"What would a true Huntress do in this situation?" Yang wondered.

"Accept responsibility," the voice replied.

Yang squared her shoulders. That was the answer. The only real answer. The only thing left for her to do was to face reality head-on. If she couldn't have the life of a Huntress, the only thing left was to die like one. And, like they had read her mind, the elevator doors slid open.

* * *

Yang swallowed. Her resolve, so strong a moment before, wavered. Now that the doors were open, and Yang could see the noose ready and waiting, bravery was much harder to come by. The guards each took one of Yang's elbows in a firm grip, and walked her forward out of the elevator. Yang glanced around as she was marched onto the gallows. Two more guards waited outside the doors. They were in a tall, narrow room. Near the top of the opposite wall, and level with the platform, was a large window of mirrored glass. Yang averted her eyes from it, imaging the hateful stares being leveled at her from the other side. The guards walked Yang across the steel floor, stopping her near the edge of the platform in the center of a large trapdoor. She could see over the edge of the platform that they were about eight feet above the floor. The noose hung a few inches above her head.

"You may make a short statement if you wish," the guard to her left said.

Yang cleared her throat, and looked at the mirrored glass. "I want to tell all of you watching that I would give anything to undo the damage I have caused you. I don't ask you to forgive me, because I don't deserve it. I accept full responsibility for my actions. My only hope is that my death here today may bring a measure of peace to those I have wronged. I apologize to all those I have disappointed and let down. Goodbye."

Yang turned her head slightly, and nodded at the guard. A third man stepped up behind her, and brought the noose down around her head. As the noose settled around her shoulders, Yang was glad Ruby hadn't asked why they cut her hair short. It would have been difficult for her to hear the explanation. The rope felt surprisingly smooth on Yang's neck as the slack was taken up in the knot. She felt the guards hands against the back of her neck and head, as he adjusted the knot to sit behind her left ear. As he completed setting the noose, Yang heard a rustling of cloth behind her. She realized she was about to be hooded.

"Please," she whispered. "Don't do that. I want to go with my eyes open."

"You don't get a choice in the matter, convict," the man behind her muttered. "The hood isn't for your benefit, it's so your victims don't have to watch your tongue swell up and your eyes pop out as you thrash." With that brutally honest reply, the executioner slipped a black hood over Yang's head and pulled the draw string below her chin.

The two guards that had been holding Yang's elbows released her, and under her black hood Yang suddenly felt very alone. It had all been very efficient. Less than two minutes before, she had been in the elevator, now, all that was left was the drop. She heard somebody reading her formal declaration of execution, but she tuned it out. Yang prayed that whatever afterlife she was bound for would accept her repentance, and hoped that her neck broke cleanly at the end of the rope. She had heard stories of people voiding their bowels and emptying their bladders as they were hung, and in an effort to avoid this final indignity she hadn't eaten or drunk in a day.

"...and by the authority invested in me by the Vale Justice Commission, I hereby order this hanging to proceed."

Yang tensed. This was it. She had imagined this moment, tried to mentally prepare, but now that it was upon her, she couldn't fight down a wave of terror. Her Huntress-trained senses both heard and felt a click in floor beneath her.

Then she was falling.

Instinctively, Yang tried to scream, but as the sound rose in her throat, she felt a massive blow to her neck. Pain exploded through her neck and head, sharper than anything she had felt in years. She realized the noose jerking tight had broken her aura, but not her neck. Too late, Yang regretted turning down pre-execution aura breaking. The pain in her neck was incredible. She twisted her head sideways, trying to draw a breath, but the grip of the rope was unyielding. Yang panicked. She twisted and squirmed, fighting the noose that was inexorably choking the life out of her. Her chained hands beat against the small of her back as she rolled her shoulders, trying to expand her neck. Yang managed to suck down a desperate lungful of fresh air as she bunched her shoulders, only to have the noose cinch even tighter as she relaxed them. Her chains clanked furiously as she paddled her legs, trying to find some angle where she could breathe. Her fingers opened and closed, as she frantically felt behind her for anything to hold on to. In the back of her mind, Yang knew it was hopeless, and the quickest way out was to relax and let it end. But Yang had been a fighter her entire life, and it was hard for her to simply submit to death now. Her head burned like it was on fire from the inside, as oxygen deprivation began to set in. Under the black hood, stars swam in Yang's vision. She pulled her heels up against the back of her thighs as her struggles began to slow down. Dimly, she realized that the pain was subsiding. Her feet prickled like a thousand ants were crawling up them. She kicked them down, trying to rid the sensation. Her legs seemed oddly heavy, she couldn't lift them again. Everything was cold. Blackness hovered at the edge of her thoughts, and she embraced it, letting go, and falling into the comforting void of oblivion.

* * *

"Thus, kindly, I scatter." Ruby let the ashes flow from the silver urn, sift through her fingers, and dance in the breeze that tugged at her cape. The clifftop by Summer Rose's grave was empty and peaceful today, as it always was. Ruby closed her eyes, breathing in the cool fall air, and listening to the rustle of leaves blowing through the grass. The last of the ashes fell from the urn, leaving a light gray dusting on the headstone before her. Yang would have liked this, Ruby reflected. They had built her a small memorial in the flower garden behind the house on Patch, but this was where she truly belonged. Here, at the top of the cliff, bathed forever in the sun and the cooled by the breeze, Yang was finally free. Ruby could visit her mother and sister together now, in the peaceful solitude of the forest hillside. She replaced the cap on the urn, and with a final whispered goodbye, she turned and walked back towards the small road that had brought her here. A familiar yellow motorcycle sat on the side of the road, waiting her return. At first, Ruby had been terrified to ride Bumblebee, after all, her legs barely reached the ground, but she wasn't about to let Yang's prized motorcycle sit in a shed and gather dust. Ruby picked up the yellow helmet from its cradle behind the seat. It wasn't her color, by then again, neither was the golden ribbon tied through her hair. She flipped back the hood of her cloak, and settled the helmet on her head. A few seconds later, a cloud of slowly settling dust was the only sign that Ruby had ever been there. She flew through the gathering twilight, back towards Beacon, back towards her destiny. She had a world to save. Yang would have wanted it that way.

* * *

Author's note: Hi all! First off, thanks for reading! I've always enjoyed a good tragedy fic, and after reading pretty much every RWBY death fic I could find, I guess it was inevitable I'd try my hand at writing my own. "Before Their Time" will be a collection of disconnected stories, with each chapter being independent from the others, unless specifically noted. I've got several more chapters in the works, so if you liked what you saw, stay tuned! Comments, suggestions, and reviews are appreciated!


	2. Martyr

Before Their Time: Chapter 2- Martyr

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the star of Atlas, the Winter Songbird, WEISS SCHNEE!"

The applause roared like a waterfall as the white-clad singer stepped from the edge of the stage, and daintily walked into the spotlight. Brilliant stage lights made her long, white hair shine like fresh-fallen snow, and the diamonds in her tiara shone bright as stars in a cold night. The audience fell silent as she stopped, and haunting strains of piano music floated from the darkened instrument section.

"Mirrrrror, tell me something..."

Winter Schnee closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as she soaked in the sound of her younger sister's voice. She was proud of Weiss. Focused, intelligent, independent, and talented in a wide variety of fields, Weiss could have been whatever she wanted. Promising careers stood open to her, not only in the SDC, but also as a professional singer. And so, with the world at her feet, Weiss had insisted on leaving Atlas and studying to be a Huntress at Beacon Academy in Vale. General Ironwood had personally offered Weiss a position as a Specialist in the Atlesian Long Range Reconnaissance Brigade, but to Ironwood's surprise, and to Jacques Schnee's fury, Weiss refused. That had been the right decision, and Winter knew it. A girl with a mind and a personality like her sister would have never been happy in the stuffy boardrooms of the SDC or the finery of high society or in the rigid environment of Atlas's military. Vale would give Weiss a chance to grow, and to find her own identity.

"...I'm the loneliest...of...allll." Weiss finished the final notes with a beautiful crescendo, and the cream of Atlas society lept to their feet to applaud her. Winter felt a satisfied smile play at the corners of her mouth. The people here would have applauded Weiss no matter what she did, after all, she was Jacque Schnee's daughter. But this was different, this was real. She could see it in their eyes, and could tell by the energy of the crowd, they were applauding for the song, and not just the singer. Winter leaned over towards her father, seated a few feet away in their private family viewing box.

"A brilliant final performance, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmmpf. I wouldn't. It only serves to underline how much she's walking away from here. Why, if she would stay, and develop this, in five years she could..."

"She could be a lot of things," Winter snapped, "But she would be miserable. Trust me, I know."

Jacques snorted and waved his hand dismissively as Winter stood to join the ovation. Neither one really cared anymore what the other thought, and Winter was never more happy with her decision to walk away from the SDC than she was at moments like this.

As the applause died down, Weiss gave a final bow and walked proudly off the stage. Winter turned to her father and younger brother. "I'm going to go down and congratulate her. Will you accompany me, Whitley?"

Whitley yawned, dramatically covering his mouth with one hand. "No, you go ahead, I'm afraid the evenings festivities have left me quite worn out. But do give our dear sister my most sincere congratulations."

Winter walked from their private seating without another word, disgust curling the corners of her mouth. Whitley Schnee, the youngest of the family, was the embodiment of everything Winter disliked about Atleisian society. Lazy, self-important, proud of who he was rather than what he had done, Whidttley was the product of an upbringing almost totally devoid of challenge and responsibility.

Winter quickened her pace, brushing through the milling socialites in the atrium outside the concert hall. She looked forward to seeing Weiss. It would be a welcome change of company from Whitley and her father. Publicly, Winter was critical and demanding of Weiss. But on the inside, she deeply loved her younger sister. Weiss was the only member of her family Winter felt anything in common with.

The security guard standing at the door to the backstage area nodded at her as she passed. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the Schnee name did open doors that would be closed to others. Winter walked purposefully down the corridor, checking the name tags on each dressing room until she stopped in front of a door labeled only with a distinctive white snowflake.

* * *

With a long sigh, Weiss let her back slide down the wall of her dressing room until she came to rest, seated on the floor. It felt... different than she had expected. She had imagined that, as she stood ready to leave Atlas and begin her Huntress training in earnest, she would have felt nothing but relief and excitement. But now, with her final concert complete and her time as Schnee family showgirl behind her, she was suprised to feel, of all things, empty. It wasn't easy to walk away from everything, even if she knew it was for the best.

Kicking off her uncomfortable wedges, Weiss pulled herself to her feet, and crossed the dressing room to the vanity. She took a deep drink of her lemon-infused ice water. Ahh... the perks of fame.

As Weiss placed the glass back on the vanity, she glanced into the mirror. The girl looking back at her served as a reminder to herwhy she made the choices she had. The girl in the mirror sported a perfect ponytail, hanging properly behind her head. Her face shone with blemishless perfection, the long scar from a training injury hidden under professionally applied makeup. The girl in the mirror wasn't Weiss.

Annoyance sparkled in the heiress. In a flash of motion, her hand shot up and pushed her hair over to one side. The other hand reached for a washcloth. She was going to scrub that makeup until not a speck of it was left.

A single firm knock at her dressing-room door interrupted her hand as it raised the washcloth. Years of high society training kicked in, and Weiss threw the washcloth back on the vanity, before frantically straightening her hair. Crossing the room into long steps, she slipped her feet back into the discarded wedges, and within 10 seconds of the knock on her dressing room door, a perfectly groomed Weiss Schnee had her hand on the doorknob. Pausing just long enough to take a breath, she pulled the door open.

"Winter! What are you doing back... I mean, I wasn't expecting you," Weiss quickly corrected herself. "Thank you for coming by."

"You must never allow yourself to be mentally unprepared to meet someone," Winter lectured in a matter of fact tone. "What if General Ironwood, or an important government official had been outside your door? You would have looked like a stuttering child."

"You are right Winter, as usual," Weiss conceded. "I apologize. Are Father and Whitley with you?"

Winters suppressed a face of distaste. "No, I imagine they have already gone ahead to the reception. Father is quite fond of these meet and greet affairs."

"I wish I didn't have to go," Weiss grumbled. "I'm leaving for Vale tomorrow morning, couldn't I be excused just this evening?"

"Now Weiss," Winter replied, slipping back into older-wiser-sister mode, "You should know by now that these social functions are an invaluable place to meet people who could be useful contacts in your future career."

Weiss made a face. "So Father says. I don't see how a room full of business executives and their high-priced arm candy will serve much use to me as a Huntress."

Winter gave Weiss a half-hearted slap across the top of her head. "And that just shows how much you still have to learn about the intricacies of the career you are pursuing. What if, someday, you need the latest in night vision technology to help you clear a deathstalker hive? Or what if someday you are tasked with hunting a giant nevermore and need an armored Bullhead? Or maybe you just need a connected friend to warn you that a certain Vacuo customs official has taken a habit of extorting hunters for safe passage of their equipment? All of this and more would prove difficult, if not impossible, for you without a network of useful, reliable contacts. Contacts that it would be impossible for you to make if you stay barricaded in your dressing room. You want some useful advice? When you get to Beacon, find the strongest and smartest students you can, and make friends with them. Get them on your team if you can. Nothing makes a new endeavor easier than strong allies to back you up."

Weiss was smart enough to know the voice of experience when she heard it. "Alright, Winter, I see your point. I'll go up to the reception, and thank you for your advice."

Winter abruptly broke form, and through one arm around Weiss's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to miss seeing you, little sister. I know you will do well in Beacon, and I'll come visit you if I can."

"Thank you for caring, Winter," replied Weiss, somewhat taken aback by the uncharacteristic display of emotion. "I'll do my absolute best, and I'll make you proud."

"I know you will Weiss, I know you will."

* * *

"Well, this is it," Weiss observed to nobody in particular. She stood in Terminal B of Snowgate, Atlas's Transcontinental Air Terminal. Klein, her loyal butler, pushed the cart bearing her luggage behind her as she stared out the huge window at the anchored airships. Winter stepped up to the window beside her. "Second thoughts, sister?"

"No. I'm going to Beacon, and nobody's going to talk me out of it now."

Winter laughed. "I know that, I meant are you having second thoughts about taking a commercial airship. I could still arrange a private transport for you."

"If I'm going to be a Huntress, I'd better learn to get along with less than the best sooner rather than later," Weiss replied. "Besides, I had Klein book me a first-class ticket."

"Then you will be traveling better than I will," Winter observed. "After you leave, I'm joining a Reconnaissance Brigade mission to the east coast. It seems that a particularly aggressive pack of aquatic Grimm has been harassing fishermen near Valentine Bay, and they've called in us to clean them out."

"Lady Schnee!" Klein called from further up the concourse. "I don't mean to be rude, but if we don't hurry you are in danger of missing your flight to Vale."

Winter turned to face her sister. Unlike at the dressing room the night before, now there was no hint of emotion or familial love in her demeanor. Now, she was all business, Specialist Schnee, LRRB. "I expect nothing less than your highest performance. I will be watching you, and will hold you to the most exacting of standards. Do not disappoint."

Weiss drew herself to her full height, and looked Winter square in the eye. "I haven't begun this to fail now. I won't let you down, you'll see."

"In that case, I'll see you in the field. Good luck, Huntress."

And the two sisters parted.

* * *

"Welcome to the Vale Transcontinental Airship Terminal. Please follow the instructions of Sky Marshal employees, and adhere to all posted regulations." The pre-recorded announcement played yet again as Weiss Schnee stood in line at the customs desk. She tapped her foot impatiently, and thought, not for the first time, that the Vale Immigration Services could benefit from some good old-fashioned Atleisian efficiency. By now, her luggage was probably being unceremoniously dumped in the baggage collection area. Perhaps it had been a mistake to turn down Winter's offer of a private airship.

"No!" She quickly reminding herself, "That's not what I am now. It's time to leave behind the privileges of wealth, and face the world head-on."

"Next!" The attendant at the the customs desk called out over the top of her computer monitor.

Weiss picked up her duffle, and stepped in front of the desk. She placed her passport and identification beside the computer, and the woman took it. Her eyes widen as she read the name, and she gave Weiss an all too familiar look.

"Miss Schnee! I saw your performance last night on the CCTV! I have all your records at home! I'm a huge fan, and... and, can I have your autograph?" The woman finished hopefully.

Weiss fixed her with the coldest stare she muster, and nodded towards the temporary residency paperwork sitting beside the computer. "I would be happy to supply my signature to any and all necessary forms."

"Yes, yes of course Miss Schnee." With a look of extreme embarrassment, the woman ducked her head and began furiously typing information into her keyboard. Weiss stepped back and crossed her arms, silently waiting until the customs officer ran the forms through her printer, and pushed them towards Weiss.

"Please sign and date here, and here."

Weiss took the offered pin, and signed her name with a flourish. She picked up her bag, and slid the papers back across the desk. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, yes it will. Do enjoy your stay in Vale, Miss Schnee."

Weiss slung her bag over her shoulder, and marched past the customs counter. Her first impression of Vale was not favorable. It didn't get any better as she entered the baggage claim area. Hundreds of people milled around three baggage carousels, and Weiss could determine no pattern to the luggage racing down conveyors.

"Are you in need of assistance, miss?" A deep, professional voice cut though the noise beside her. Wiess turned, and saw a tall man dressed in the light blue uniform of the Sky Marshal staff. His badge told her his name was "Jax", and beneath his name tag was embroidered the words "Luggage Handler".

"Why yes," Weiss replied, hoping that she had finally found some competent help. "I have just arrived from Atlas, and need to claim my checked bags."

"Did you land on the 3:30 Remnant Air?"

"Yes."

"Then your bags should be on Carousel 1. How many bags do you have?"

"Seven," Weiss replied, well aware that this amount of luggage somewhat exceeded the normal baggage needs of a small family.

Jax laughed. "In that case, I'll get a cart. Head over to the carousel and look for your bags, I'll be along in a few minutes."

Weiss made her way through the press of travelers. Maybe things were starting to look up. Reaching the conveyor, she scanned up and down for her bags. A familiar white case caught her eye, and she plucked Myrtenaster's travel box from the carousel as it passed. By the time Jax returned with a cart, she had a small wall of luggage beside her. Without waiting to be told, he stacked her parcels onto his car.

"Is that everything, Miss?"

Weiss took a quick inventory. "Yes, it's all here."

"Will you be taking a taxi? I can recommend the best drivers."

"Thank you, yes, I do need a ride to my hotel."

"Alright then, follow me." Jax took hold of the cart, and pushed it through the sea of people. Weiss followed close behind, taking advantage of the path he made for her. Things were starting to look up. Maybe Vale wouldn't be all bad.

Weiss followed her new-found porter through the terminal. He led her under a large sign reading "Public Transportation", and through a glass door that opened to the taxi park. She blinked as she stepped into the afternoon sunlight, the heat radiating from the concrete being a sharp contrast to the chill air of Atlas. Several dozen taxis sat alongside the curb, and drivers leaned against the sides of their vehicles waiting for fares.

Jax pointed to a dark red car with tinted windows near the end of the line. "That there is Francois. He's the fastest, most professional driver in the business. I wouldn't point a friend to anybody different."

"Ok," Weiss agreed. "Let's go meet him." Wiess felt pleased with herself as she followed her luggage down the sidewalk. Make contacts, Winter had said. Well, now she had a contact at the Vale Airship terminal. A good start, for her first day in Vale.

Jax rapped on the roof of the taxi as he passed, and the trunk popped open. He halted the cart behind the taxi, and with practiced efficiency stowed Weiss's luggage in the trunk. "There you go, Miss. Francois will take you wherever you need to go. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thank you, I'm certain I will." Weiss reached into her purse, and handed Jax a wad of lien. "For your troubles."

"Happy to help." With a friendly nod, he walked away. Weiss turned, and let herself into the backseat of the taxi. It wasn't quite up to Schnee family limousine standards, but the backseat was clean, comfortable, smelled nice, and was separated from the front of the taxi by a glass partition.

The driver turned his head, and Weiss froze. He was a dog faunus. "Where to, Miss?"

A faunus! Her father would be beyond scandalized. The very thought of the Schnee family heiress riding alone in a car with a faunus man broke enough rules for an entire magazine's worth of gossip columns.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

Weiss fought down the urge to step out of the taxi and the demand they unload her bags. With an effort, she found her voice. "Continental Hotel, please."

"Ahh, Vale's finest. We'll be there in 15 minutes."

Francois put the taxi in gear, and pulled away from the curb. Weiss seethed in the back seat as they merged into traffic. Did Vale have absolutely no standards at all? Fangirl customs agents, complete chaos in their airport, and worst of all, faunus taxi drivers! Just sitting around where decent people could climb into their vehicles without warning! Any taxi company that tried something like this in Atlas would have been run out of business by the end of the day. It was no wonder that Vale had some of the crime problems it did. She had heard her father raging about dust shipments being stolen and how the White Fang was behind it and how Valean authorities were powerless to stop it. Frankly, after what she had seen this afternoon, she was suprised it wasn't worse.

Weiss yawned. The reception had gone late last night, and the demands of travel had worn her out. Maybe she could catch a quick nap on the way to the hotel.

Wait.

The taxi hadn't smelled like that when she got in.

The need for sleep suddenly crushed down on her like deep water. Her mind was a haze. She scrabbled for the door handle, found it, and pulled. It fell off in her hand. Weiss panicked. She tried to summon a glyph, and tear the door from the taxi. Can't... Focus... In desperation, Weiss hurled herself at the window. Francois watched as the white-haired girl beat weakly against the window, then swayed, and fell back across the seat.

"Dog Catcher to Red Bull. I have a case of Atlas's finest on ice. Want to come over for a party?"

* * *

Blake Belladonna hated stereotypes. Just because she was a cat faunus didn't give anyone the right to shine laser pointers at her, or ask if she always landed on her feet. When she was 13, she had broken a boy's arm for offering her a catnip mouse. In retrospect, it may have been an awkward attempt at flirting. Oh well, didn't matter now. She yawned and stretched, then went back to dozing in the sun, her back against the boulder she used as her private haunt. Here, she could read, or sleep, or practice her weapons forms away from the bustle of the White Fang camp. The fact that sunny afternoons often found her relaxing against its warm face was pure coincidence.

Blake's mind drifted dreamily back to Menagerie. Ahhh... those had been the days. Nothing beat summertime on the island. Her father would take her down to the ocean, and they would fish for bluestripe in the shallows. By afternoon, they would have several stringers full, and the promise of succulent fried fish for dinner. If they had done exceptionally well, they would have an extra stringer to sell in the market. The noise of the market was a stark contrast to calm of the seaside.

The noise of the market...

The noise...

Blake shot to her feet, transforming from sleepy girl to lethal warrior in a heartbeat. Gambol's Shroud slipped into her hand. The noise was real. And the noise was close. In fact, it was coming from the camp. Without hesitation, Blake set off at a dead sprint, her passing churning the carpet of red leaves that perpetually blanketed Forever Fall.

Bursting into the cluster of camouflaged tents and dugouts that constituted their advanced base, Blake was relieved to discover that the commotion was not a surprise attack, but rather some type of celebration. Slowing her headlong pace, she sheathed her weapon and approached the throng of cheering operatives.

"What's all this about?" She asked a deer faunus at the edge of the crowd.

"Jax and Francois snatched the SDC heiress at the air terminal in Vale!" The man replied, his face lit up with excitement. "Now we can force those pompous thugs in Atlas to negotiate."

Blake pushed through the crowd, fighting down her annoyance at being kept in the dark about this operation. It was another sign of the widening rift between her and Adam, once inseparable partners. She made her way to the front, and stopped to take in the scene.

Francois, one of Adam's top undercover operatives, was climbing out of a dark red taxi. He waved as the assembled White Fang send up a vigorous cheer. Rounding the vehicle, Francois opened one of the rear doors. He reached inside, and drug a bound, gagged, and blindfolded girl out of the car. His captive was no older than Blake, but slighter of build. Her clothes, now badly wrinkled and torn in several places, looked like they would have cost a year's salary for one of the SDC's underpaid faunus workers. Jax, a cat faunus and an old associate of Blake and Adam from the Menagerie days, climbed out of the car as the crowd hurled abuse at the girl in white.

"Thief!"

"Murderer!"

"Scum!"

The shrieks of pure hatred came with such force that the girl seemed to cower back, as if facing a strong wind. Jax slapped her across the side of the head.

"You hear that, heiress? You're in our world now."

He ripped the blindfold from her head, and grabbed her chin with one of his powerful hands. "Nobody is coming to save you."

The girl twisted violently in Francois's grip, and with a desperate effort tore herself loose. Her hands were bound behind her, but her feet were free. Ducking past Jax, she bolted for the edge of the camp.

"Yeah, run, you spoiled brat! See how far you get!" Jax shouted after her.

Blake stood, unwilling to join the pursuit. She knew how this was going to end. But to her surprise, the white-haired girl was not instantly recapture. She was fast. Very fast. As Blake watched with growing interest, the Atlesian girl evaded a dog faunus's diving tackle, and slipped between two tents, the mob close at her heels.

Blake knew that the way the girl was heading would bring her to the fortified fence guarding the road to the camp. She would be forced to turn, and head out in to Forever Fall. With a calculating look darkening her features, Blake jogged across the camp and crouched behind a large stack of camouflaged food crates. The sounds of pursuit faded, then turned, and headed in her direction. Blake readied Gambol's Shroud.

Wait for it... and... Now!

The hooked blade of her weapon shot out, trailing the ribbon behind it. It sunk in into a nearby tree with a solid whack, and Blake jerked the ribbon tight. The fleeing heiress never knew what hit her. The taught line caught her in the wishbone, and she executed a complete backflip before falling awkwardly to the ground. Blake's eyes widened as she saw a thin web of light flicker across the girls skin. She had aura. Operative word, had. It was broken now.

The mob was on her in an instant. With her hands tied behind her, and the wind knocked out of her from Blake's punishing takedown, the girl could do nothing to ward off the rain of blows. Kicks battered her from all sides, tearing her clothes and bloodying her face. Jax stomped viciously on her ankle, and Blake could hear bone snap from where she was standing. Until now, the girl had borne the abuse with a clenched jaw, but now she let out a primal scream of agony, piercing even through her gag.

Jax laughed. "That hurt? Well take a look at this!" He tipped his face forward, and pointed to two lumps of scar tissue on top of his head. "I used to have it ears there," he snarled, "Until a gang of SDC goons sawed them off. I've been waiting for this day my entire life. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be lucky to be able to..."

"Stop."

The single word, authoritatively barked from the edge of the mayhem, brought everybody to a standstill. Adam Taurus strode into the crowd, White Fang parting before him with fearful reverence.

"Jax."

"Sir!"

"Did I give you orders to abuse the prisoner?"

"No sir!"

"What, then, did I tell you to do?" Adam's voice was flat and dangerous.

Jax gulped. "Sir! We were ordered to secure the Schnee girl and bring her here unharmed to be used as a hostage!"

"Correct. Since it appears your problem is inability to follow orders and not poor hearing, I hearby confine you to quarters until this matter is resolved. Dismissed."

"Sir!" Jax turned, and jogged away toward the dugouts.

Adam looked over the assembled White Fang. "If any of you lay a hand on the prisoner without my permission, you will answer to me." He looked slowly across the crowd. No one spoke. "Good. Then come, Brothers, rejoice! The spawn of the snake is fallen into our hands! We shall force the over-fed Atlas robbers to bow to our righteous demands!"

The crowd roarded its approval. Adam waited for the cheering to subside, then spoke again. "Arwen, Laramie. Take our guest to lockup. Get her some medical attention, and make her look presentable. Tomorrow, she's going to have the role of a lifetime."

Two White Fang operatives stepped forward, and picked up the battered girl. The rest of the crowd, sensing the moment had passed, began to scatter to their respective places. Finally, Blake stood alone, Gambol's Shroud still clutched in her hand. Adam saw her, and walked over.

"Blake. I saw what you did there. Good work. I wasn't sure at first if you would have the stomach for this sort of thing, but I see now I was mistaken." He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "It's good to know I can always count on you."

Blake glanced up into the mask Adam never took off. It was as much a part of him now as was his red hair. "What are you going to do with her?"

"Use her as a bargaining chip to put some leverage on the SDC."

"And if they refuse to negotiate?"

Adam leaned closer, and when he spoke, his words fell like chips of ice. "Then I'll use her as an example. This is no time for half measures, Blake. Are you with me?"

Blake swallowed. Why was nothing easy anymore? "Yes, Adam. I'm with you. We have to do this, for the good of the faunus."

Adam almost smiled. "Then this is a good day." He ran his thumb across her cheek. "I'll talk to you later. I need to debrief Francois."

Adam turned, and walked purposefully away. Blake slowly sheathed Gambol's Shroud. The blood spilled as the mob had beaten the Atleisian girl had nearly dried. Blake carefully kicked dirt over it. Maybe if she erased the evidence, she could erase the image from her mind. A familiar feeling of unease gnawed at Blake. Try as she might to justify the actions of Adam and the White Fang, she knew, deep down, that this wasn't right. None of this was right.

* * *

The pungent smell of Polar Fire filled Jacques Schnee's office as he slammed his wine glass down on the desk. The military attache standing at attention in front of him flinched.

"I do not care what time it is in Vale!" Jacques roared. "Call as many people as you need to, wake up everyone in the Kingdom for all I care! I refuse to sit idly by while those terrorist animals hold my daughter!"

The officer shifted uncomfortably. "Sir! Vale Security Service has identified the perpetrators and the vehicle used at Vale Transcontinental. We are working closely with them to attempt to track the vehicle. It is likely that the White Fang will send a ransom demand, at that time we will bring every effort to bear to track the source of their communication."

"I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation. If this ever gets as far as a public ransom demand, the perceived balance of power will shift. They will be in charge, and we will be reacting. And this is why we must leave no stone unturned, and search that entire Kingdom until we find these animals and exterminate them!" Jacques finished his monologue with an authoritative thump of his fist on the table.

"Sir! We do not have the authority or jurisdiction to deploy Atlesian forces at this time."

Jacques ground his teeth in frustrated anger. "Then you better pray that whatever you're doing now is enough, because if anything happens to the heiress of the SDC, I'm not going to let borders, or jurisdiction, or anything else stand in my way."

* * *

Darkness covered Forever Fall. The inky blackness of the new moon night closely matched Weiss Schnee's spirit. She lay in the corner of a dugout, a steel collar around her neck. A short chain bound her to a ring in the wall. Her hands were cuffed together, but her captors had cuffed them in front of her, permitting her a limited range of motion. She lay on a dirty mattress, and sleeplessly tossed back and forth. She ached all over from the beating given to her by the mob. Her broken ankle had been set by a White Fang medic, but it still throbbed painfully every time she moved.

They had injected her with something, part painkiller, part hallucinogenic. It dulled the pain, but it left her mind struggling in a thick fog. She could process events around her, but the part of her brain that controlled her semblance was an impenetrable mess. After she had been thrown into her prison, she had made a few attempts at summoning a glyph to break the chain. The only result had been a splitting headache. Weiss had finally given up in despair, and flopped down to await the morning.

She wondered if they had missed her yet. Surely the SDC Heiress not checking in at her hotel would draw some attention, even if it was only from tabloids. Were they looking for her? Would they find her? She doubted the White Fang planned to kill her, at least, not right away. They had spent too much effort patching her up for that. Ransom was more likely, but this did little to comfort Weiss. She couldn't imagine the shame and reproach of her return to Atlas and her father as a defeated hostage.

A soft thud in the dugout suddenly jerked Weiss out of her self-pity. Someone, or something, was in here with her. Panic lanced though every fiber of her being. This was it! She was going to be tortured! Raped! Slaughtered like an animal! The terrified girl struggled to a sitting position, desperately trying to look into the pitch blackness beyond her. A hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream of fear and surprise. Weiss did the only thing she could. She bit down on the hand. Hard.

"Ow! Stop it!" A female voice hissed from the dark. Wiess kept her jaws clamped. The voice in the dark grunted in pain. "Listen! I'm not here to hurt you. Let go, and keep still."

Weiss thought for a second. The unknown visitor had made no effort to hurt her. At this point, what did she have to lose? She slowly opened her mouth.

The hand pulled free. There was a brief rustling sound, and a match flared into life. Weiss blinked in the sudden glow of light. As her eyes adjusted, she found herself staring into the face of a black haired girl, not much older than herself. The girl produced a small candle, lit it, and snuffed out the match.

"What do you want?" Weiss demanded, some of the old fire coming back to her voice.

"My name is Blake," the girl replied. "I wanted to meet you."

Weiss sniffed disbelievingly. "I'll bet. Is this the part where you pretended to be my friend and pump me for information? Well, it won't work. You might as well just skip to the torture and get it over with!"

Blake looked faintly amused. "Believe me, if Adam thought you had information he needed you would be out in the stocks with coals in your hands and ice on your feet. And that would be just to soften you up."

Weiss shuddered inwardly. These faunus terrorists were every bit as horrible as she had heard. "Barbarians," she muttered. "You expect me to believe that you just came here because you wanted to say hello?"

Blake nodded. "You know what they say about cats and curiosity. Believe me, I'm taking a big risk sneaking past your guards to talk to you."

"And why should I talk to you? You're a criminal and a terrorist, just like the rest of them."

Her visitor looked pained at that accusation. "I'm not like that," she protested. "I don't want anymore of this war and death. Everybody loses. And besides, I brought you this."

Blake produced a canteen, and unscrewed the cap. Weiss's eyes focused on the open container like it was the only thing in the world. She hadn't realized till now how overpoweringly thirsty she was. Blake held the canteen to Weiss's lips, and carefully tipped it forward. Weiss greedily drunk in the cool liquid, before gasping in surprise as the flavor struck her tongue. Blake lowered the canteen, and wiped Wiess's chin.

"My lemon water!" Weiss exclaimed in an excited whisper. "How...?"

"I went through your luggage," Blake admitted. "When I saw this, I knew you would need it. Sometimes, our...guests... don't get the hospitality they should."

"I shudder to think what you have done to the innocents who fell into your hands," Weiss accused.

"No worse than your Atlas government would do if I was taken prisoner," Blake shot back.

"The difference is, you're a terrorist!"

"What choice did I have? On one side was the slave labor conditions of the dust mines, on the other was the White Fang. What would have you done?"

Weiss didn't have an immediate answer for that. She knew what she would have done, she would have ended up exactly where this faunus girl had.

Blake sensed Weiss's hesitation, and changed the subject. "I saw your combat gear. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting an Atleisian heiress choose the life of a huntress. What led you to that?"

Weiss bristled at the thought of this girl combing through her bags. "Why should I explain my reasons to you?"

The faunus girl shrugged. "You don't have to. And I don't have to stay. In fact, I think I'll just take this canteen and go out the way I came."

"Wait!" Weiss's thirst betrayed her. Blake paused, poised to blow out the candle. "I...I wanted to help people. I have had many opportunities given me in life, and I wanted a chance to give some back."

Blake tipped her head, eyeing the white haired girl with renewed interest. "Go on..."

"I could have done and had whatever I wanted, but I wanted to go and make my own success in the world. I didn't want everything I owned given to me. My older sister is in the Atlesian Long Range Reconnaissance Brigade, and I wanted to be like her. Strong, independent. Being a Huntress was the natural way to achieve my goals."

Blake digested this information for a few seconds, then spoke carefully. "I think you understand why I do what I do more than you realize. My parents are well off by faunus standards, and I could have had a relatively comfortable life on Menagerie had I chosen to. But there is so much injustice in this world! Faunus men and women are abused and taken advantage of everyday, all across Remnant! You wanted to make your mark in the world, so did I. We couldn't change the injustices around us by peaceful means, we tried that. So what choice were we left with? We were forced to risk our lives, and to give up every comfort we had, in the hope that we could fight for a future where our children and our grandchildren could live peacefully alongside humans as equals!" As she spoke, Blake leaned closer to Weiss, whispering with an intensity she had seldom felt.

Weiss snorted. "And you think that kidnapping, terrorism, and extortion is the way to achieve your equality and justice? All you criminals are doing is making honest people hate the faunus more."

Her words struck Blake deep in her heart. She knew that the Schnee girl was right. Blake sighed regretfully. "I know. The White Fang isn't what it was when I joined it. Adam and Sienna Khan have taken it to a dark place. I wish all of this violence and hate could go away. I've tried to tell Adam this, but he won't listen. He insists that the only way to gain the respect of the humans is to make them fear us."

"You know, I'm not blinded to the realities of the conditions of the faunus," Weiss conceded. "Some of the labor practices my father's company employees are... less than equitable. Someday, I would change that if I could. People deserve a chance to prove themselves. Most of the faunus I have known have been criminals and scalawags, but there's no reason that the good ones should be punished for the actions of the bad."

"And do you think I'm one of the bad ones?" Blake asked.

Weiss looked at the chain that bound her to the wall, then at the canteen in Blake's lap. "I don't know. Give me another drink of my lemon water, and I'll think about it."

* * *

Valentine Bay was a cold and desolate corner of Atlas, inhabited only because of the world class rock shrimp that could be found in the frigid waters off the coast. But these days, the shrimp catch had slowed to a trickle as aggressive Sawfin grimm had rendered the risk of fishing too great for all but the most foolhardy. The A.L.R.R.B. had encamped at the edge of town, and set to work immediately. Commander Valerian had despatched Specialist Scheen and her squad of support troops to deploy locational beacon bouys around the mouth of the harbor. The task had been uneventfully completed, and now, Winter Schnee was disembarking from a Prowler class fast attack boat at the largest dock in harbor. As she stepped from the deck onto solid ground, Valerian and two of his officers approached.

Winter snapped off as crisp of a salute as she could muster in her cold and soaking overcoat. "Sir! The operation was completed without inncident. All bouys placed and functional. No Grimm were encountered, but sawfin normally aren't found that close to land."

"Understood, Specialist Schnee. Have your men secure the Prowler and debrief. I need to speak to you privately, at once."

"Sir!" Winter turned back to the boat. "Sergeant Murdoch. Finish up here and file a mission report. I'll rejoin you as soon as possible."

Winter's second in command saluted, and continued cranking down the anchor. Commander Valerian turned, and walked towards a waiting utility vehicle. Winter followed. One of the officers took the wheel, and Winter joined the other in the back seat. Valerian rode shotgun as the 4x4 rattled through the streets of Valentine Bay. The locals shouted and waved as they passed, thrilled to see Atlas's finest come to their aid.

Winter sat silently in the backseat, ignoring town and the cheering people. Something terrible was happening, she could tell it. The tense silence of the other passengers only increased her unease. As much as Winter wanted to ask what the purpose of this meeting was, her military discipline forced her to remain silent. Commander Valerian would tell her what she needed to know when he was ready.

The 4x4 rolled into the hastily erected military camp, and stopped in front of the command pod. The Pod was a marvel of engineering. Constructed of lightweight tubing and composite panels, it could be assembled in a matter of minutes and withstand everything it from hurricane-force force winds to ursa attacks. As Commander Valerian and his followers entered, the small group of officers inside the pod snapped to attention.

"At ease. I need everybody out of this room, on the double. I need to speak with Specialist Schnee in private." The assemble officers filed out of the tent without a word, and in seconds Winter was left alone with the commander.

Winter could contain herself no longer. "Commander Valerian, what is going on? I know something serious must be afoot for you to pull me out of the field."

Wordlessly, he sat behind a field desk and opened a laptop computer. Commander Valerian paused, and looked Winter square in the eye. "Specialist Schnee, it is against my better judgement to show you what I am about to show you. I am only doing this at the personal request of General Ironwood. I trust that what you are about to see will not impede your professionalism and discipline for the duration of our time here at Valentine Bay." He punched a button, and spun the computer around so Winter could see. "This video was released on the holonet 45 minutes ago."

The video opened with a close up of a red haired man in a white mask. "Citizens of Remnant. I am Adam Taurus, and I represent the White Fang."

Tarus... the name was familiar. Winter had seen it in a briefing about terrorist activities in... Vale! Weiss! A pit opened in Winter's stomach as the man continued to speak.

"We Faunus are done with half measures. The cruelty and Injustice that the human race has exhibited toward us demands nothing less than justice and retribution. You enslave us for your own profit, and deny us basic rights as though we were less than animals. Nowhere is your cruel and arrogant behavior more perfectly displayed than in the leadership of the Schnee Dust Company. Your empire of greed has been built on a foundation of the bones of your slaves and cemented with the blood and sweat of those you have abused. You cannot escape the guilt of your legacy, and today I bring richly deserved justice upon you. Jacques Schnee,say hello to your daughter."

Winter froze in horror as the camera panned out, and Weiss came into view. She was seated in a chair, her hands cuffed in her lap. She looked unharmed, but that did nothing to reassure her older sister. Adam Taurus continued his monologue.

"This is Weiss Schnee, heir to the SDC. A product of the wanton decadence and greed of Atlas, I now offer her to you as a bargaining chip. Schnee, tell your father my demands."

Winter leaned over the desk, shaking with fury as the camera zoomed in on her sister.

* * *

Weiss gulped. Nothing in her singing career had prepared her for this kind of public speaking. Adam's threat rang in her mind "And if you don't say what I told you, I'll shut down the camera, rip off a toe, and we'll start all over." She stared into the camera and steeled herself.

"Father, I am unharmed. The White Fang demands the immediate release and guaranteed safe passage of the convicted bombers known as the Mantle Five. In addition, the joint Atlas/SDC dust mine expansion in the Vaccuan desert is to be immediately suspended." Wiess stopped, the next part sticking in her throat.

"Go on," came the flat, menacing voice of Adam.

"If steps have not been taken to comply with these demands by noon tomorrow, the next video you receive will be of my execution."

Adam stepped closer to Weiss, and bent down so his head was beside hers. "You heard the lady, Schnee. You've got just over 24 hours. This is not a negotiation."

He straightened up, and the camera crew switched off the recorder. Adam grabbed Weiss by one arm, and pulled her to her feet. "You did good, princess. Now we'll see how much your over-priced skin is really worth to good ol' Papa Jacque."

"Atlas will never bow to the demands of a thug like you!" Weiss spat back.

Adam looked at her with amusement. "Really? You seem to be awfully pleased to sign your own death warrant. Believe me, if my demands are not met, you will not live to see sundown tomorrow." He pushed her toward two guards. "Get her back to holding."

One of Adam's goons took hold of Weiss's elbow, and pulled her roughly along. She bit off a gasp of pain as her broken ankle took her weight. She was not about to show weakness in front of these animals. The faunus dragging her along paid her injured leg no heed, and marched her rapidly through the camp. Weiss did her best to take weight off of the ankle, but the trip quickly turned into excruciating torture. She stumbled, and went down on one knee.

"Get up!" the man snarled at her. A poorly aimed blow glanced off her shoulder. The thought crossed her mind that with the ransom video out of the way, the White Fang had no further reason to show restraint with her. With a monumental effort, she forced her foot to take weight, and shakily stood. As she looked up, she found Blake Belladonna standing two feet in front of her, hands on her hips and an expression of disapproval on her face.

"Can't you see she can barely walk?" Blake demanded of the guard.

"Can't you see that I don't care?" He shot back. "If it was up to me, we'd kill her right here."

"Well, it's not up to you. Help her walk, or I will report you to Adam for violating his orders about abusing his prisoner."

For a tense moment, Blake and the guards stared each other down. Then, the faunus spat on the ground, and took a step backwards. "Fine. If the Atlas whore means so much to you, take her back to lockup yourself." The two men turned, and walked away.

Blake stepped in, and it took Weiss by the elbow, supporting her injured side. "Sorry about that. Come on. I'll help you walk."

The two girls set off though the camp, with Weiss leaning heavily on Blake's arm. "Why are you helping me? We should be enemies."

"We are, sort of," Blake responded. "I'm not letting you go, but it goes against common decency to make you walk on that ankle. I'm a soldier, not a monster."

"Fair enough," Weiss allowed.

The pair walked in silence until they reached Weiss's prison dugout. A White Fang operative let them in the door. Blake walked Weiss over to her mattress, and helped her sit down. The dark haired girl reached for the chain and collar, then paused. An awkward moment of silence hung in the room. Weiss stared at the faunus girl, a challenging look in her eye. Blake looked at the chain, then at Wiess, then back at the chain. Finally, with a grimace, she dropped the collar around Weiss's neck and locked it. With a muttered apology, she practically ran from the dugout.

Weiss exhaled deeply, and leaned back against the wall. She stretched her injured leg out in front of her, curling the other leg underneath in an attempt to find a position that gave her some relief. She looked better than she felt. The White Fang had dressed her in a long grey evening gown they had found in her luggage. A deer faunus woman had done hair and makeup on her that morning, in order to cover up the effects of the beating she had taken the day before. But underneath her nice clothes and styled hair, Weiss Schnee was a wreck. She hadn't eaten properly in the last two days. Aside from the lemon water Blake had smuggled her, she had been given nothing but some tough jerky, dry bread, and stale, lukewarm water. It was a far cry from the fare of Atlas.

As the heiress sat alone in her prison, doubts and fears began to creep into her mind. Her defiance to Adam had been real, after all, she had not been raised to grovel. But Adam's calm dismissal of her defiance and promise of imminent execution had rattled her. She accepted the risk of early death as part of being a Huntress. It just went with the job, one couldn't dwell on it. But she had always imagined some heroic end, holding a bridge to let civilians escape, facing down impossible odds with the calm resolve of a warrior. Being slaughtered in cold blood by faunus terrorists looking to make a political statement was somehow... anti-climactic. And so she sat, brooding about the evils of the world, as the afternoon wore on.

* * *

Tick, tock Tick, tock Tick, tock Bong Bong Bong Bong

The enormous, ancient grandfather clock in the corner of Jacque Schnee's office steadily tolled out its 4 A.M. chimb. A defeated giant sat behind the massive desk, a half-empty bottle of Vintage Glacier beside him. Jacques Schnee had poured every last one of his vast and varied resources into finding his daughter, and had come up completely empty. He hadn't slept since he had learned Weiss was missing the previous afternoon. He had been a fool, he could see it now. He had driven both his daughters away, driven them away with his business-first obsession, viewing them as resources to be developed instead of children to be raised. Now, baring a miracle, Weiss was gone forever. He slowly picked up the telephone from its ornate cradle, and dialed.

"Ironwood, go ahead."

"James, any word?"

"No, Jacques, there isn't. Vale Security is tracking down possible broadcast locations, and our Intel people are working as fast as they can."

"Well have them work faster! Weiss might have only a few hours left!"

"You have to trust me, Jacques, we're doing everything we can."

"We need to released a statement, try to draw the White Fang into negotiations. Buy some time."

"You and I both know that negotiation is out of the question. If we even hint towards giving in to the demands, they'll take five more hostages tomorrow. And besides, our profilers don't think they actually intend to harm Miss Schnee. It does then no good to kill their most valuable asset."

"That's a serious gamble you're taking with my daughter's life!"

"I know, Jacques, I know. But it's the only course of action available to me at the moment. Look, I'll keep you updated to the minute on anything I learn. I have to go, I'm due in the command post for a briefing."

"Fine. But remember this, Ironwood, if this goes wrong, I'm holding you accountable."

The line went dead, and Jacques Schnee sank back in his chair. Oh yes, he would hold Ironwood accountable. And that was just for starters. If anything happened to Weiss, he wouldn't rest until he drowned the White Fang in their own blood.

* * *

A gentle prod against her side instantly pulled Weiss from her fitfull sleep. A gentle hand held down on her shoulder, and a voice came from the darkness.

"Shh. It's ok. It's only me."

"Blake?"

"Yes. Here, I brought you some decent food and the water."

"How did you get in here?"

"I'm a cat faunus with a clone semblance who has lived outside of the law my entire life and not been caught yet. There are very few places anywhere I can't get into if I try hard enough."

Weiss had to admit, that made sense.

Blake carefully placed a cold sandwich in Weiss's hands. "It's not much, but we aren't exactly living in the lap of luxury here ourselves."

Weiss bit in greedily. The bread was old, and the salami fit only for dog food by Atlas standards, but to her it was the best meal she'd ever had. After a couple of bites, she paused, and asked the question that was uppermost in her thoughts. "Has there been any word from Atlas?"

Blake hesitated. "The government has officially refused to comply with Adam's demands."

Neither girl spoke, the implications of Blake's announcement being all too clear. Finally, Weiss broke the silence. "So... how are they going to kill me?"

"I don't think Adam actually plans to have you executed," Blake replied. "After all, what good is a dead hostage?"

Weiss took another bite of sandwich, not at all reassured. "It would be a statement, Blake. He would put Remnant on notice that he will follow through on his threats."

Blake digested that thought for a second. She didn't want to say it out loud, but she was terrified that Weiss was exactly right in her assessment of the situation. Finally, she changed the subject.

"So, tell me about Beacon. What do you have to do to get accepted?"

"What, are you planning to infiltrate a huntsman Academy now?"

"Maybe I'll go be a huntress someday," Blake replied carelessly. "Who knows?"

"Well, you have to have strong academic skills..." And Weiss was off, dropping straight back into the role of A+ perfectionist, lecturing Blake on everything she would need to do to join an academy. Privately, Weiss was also doing more than a little bragging on all of her accomplishments.

The night wore on, and something close to friendship formed between Weiss and her captor. As Blake told her about Beowulf hunting parties, and Weiss recounted defeating the giant suit of mechanized training armor, both girls realized that, had events taken a different turn, there was no person they would have rather had as a partner. Finally, Blake picked up the canteen and sandwich wrapper, and stood to leave.

"Adam and I have a job tomorrow afternoon. He'll notice if I'm too tired."

"Wait, Blake, before you leave..."

"Yes?"

"Well, I know you're a criminal, I guess, and we should hate each other, but I don't. You've been honorable, even if you're on the wrong side."

"Thank you, Weiss . For what it's worth, I don't hate you either. Friends?"

"Friends."

* * *

"Sergeant Murdoch! Status report!"

"Commander Valerian, sir! Still no trace of Specialist Schnee. A local traveling doctor and his Bullhead are also unaccounted for. We surmise that Specialist Schnee has commandeered them, and is traveling to destinations unknown."

"Understood, soldier. Reassign your squad to shore support duties. I'm going to contact high command, and inform them that Specialist Schnee has deserted."

* * *

Blake sprinted through the woods beside the camp, panic making every breath come in a ragged gasp. She was taking the long way to her destination, but there was no alternative. Detection now would cost her life. "Faster! Faster!" She drove herself on, vaulting logs and ducking branches. Time was not on her side. The second she had seen Jax out of his tent, she knew her worst fears had come to life. But when she learned what was planned, something inside of her broke. She had no choice. The White Fang had been taken over with blood-lust, and if she didn't take a stand now she would be sucked down with them.

Sliding to a halt behind a giant tree, Blake surveyed the edge of the camp. Her goal was to reach Weiss's prison unseen. Patrols were light on the back side of the camp. She had an opening. Moving with the grace and precision of her feline nature, she slipped under the perimeter fence and made for the dugout. Voices ahead sent her diving under a camouflaged supply truck.

"...a real message to the kingdoms. Nobody is beyond our reach."

"Indeed it is. It's an honor to fight beside Comrade Taurus."

Two White Fang walked past. Blake let their steps fade, then rolled out and ran to the door of the prison. Glancing over her shoulder, she fished a skeleton key from her pocket, and unlocked the door of the dugout. She slipped inside, and shut the door behind her.

Weiss sat bolt upright as Blake entered. From her tense demeanor, and the visit in the middle of the day, she knew immediately why Blake was here.

"It's time, isn't it?"

"Come on," Blake responded with urgency in her voice. "Get up, we have to move right now." She crossed the room in a flash, and unlocked the collar around Weiss's neck. She hauled the white-haired girl to her feet.

"Move? What? Where? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to let them murder you in cold blood. This has gone too far, it's wrong, and I won't be a part of it."

"You're... helping me escape?" Weiss asked dubiously.

"Yes, I'm helping you escape," Blake replied in an exasperated tone. "But we have to go right now or they'll come for you and it'll be too late."

Blake took Weiss's elbow, and steadied her as they crossed the room. Weiss couldn't quite believe this was happening. A faunus terrorist was going to save her life. The pair reached the door, and Blake froze.

"They're here."

"How can you tell?" Weiss whispered.

"I have four ears. I can hear them."

Weiss couldn't argue with that logic.

"They've stopped outside, maybe thirty feet away."

"I guess this is it," Weiss said in a resigned voice. "Thanks for being decent to me. I wish we had met under different circumstances."

"No!" Blake snapped. "I'm done giving in, done being an accessory. Here's what we'll do. When we open the door, I'll jump whoever's out there. You make a run for it, head west. I'll buy you as much time as I can."

"Blake."

"There's train tracks 4 miles from here. A SDC train is moving past here late this afternoon, Adam and I were going to rob it. If I can't get away, you'll have to get on the train."

"Blake, stop it. Look at me. I'm beat up, aura-less, and can barely walk across the room without help. Even with your help, Do you think we could really make four miles before the White Fang ran us down and killed us both?"

"I... we... I can't just abandon you to them!" Blake clenched her hands on her head in anguish.

"There's not a choice in the matter," Weiss replied, keeping her voice calm and steady. "You will only throw your life away in a pointless attempt to save mine, and I won't hear to it. If this is to be my fate, I won't let you be destroyed alongside me. Now open the door, and let's get on with it."

Blake hesitated for a long moment, her hand gripping the hilt of Gambol's Shroud. But the logic of Weiss's argument was impossible to ignore, and finally she let out a long sigh of defeat. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I am so, so, sorry."

Weiss nodded, and Blake pushed open the door. Adam Taurus stood squarely in front of it, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What are you doing, Blake?"

"Delivering the prisoner for execution, why?"

"I didn't order you to do that."

"Well, I know things haven't been the same between us recently, and I was hoping to prove to you I was still on your side. You know, show some initiative."

Adam studied her for a moment, then apparently decided he believed her story. "Very well, bring her as along." He turned on his heel, and walk to back towards four other waiting White Fang.

Weiss felt a strange feeling of numb calm as Blake tugged forward on her elbow. She was going to die. She couldn't fight, she couldn't run, she couldn't bargain. She realized that she still didn't know how she was going to be executed, but she hoped it would be quick. Firing squad, maybe. Beheading wouldn't hurt as long as whoever wielded the axe knew how to swing it.

"Whore!"

"Say your prayers, thief!"

A pair of loitering White Fang hurled insults at her as the party walked through the camp. More faunus were gathering, joining the procession and making their way towards a gathering point. The insults came thicker, invectives being screamed from all sides.

"You're going to rot in the forest!"

"I'll feed your heart to the Grimm!"

Weiss kept her head down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. It would all be over soon.

"We'll have a nice, slow fire for you, scum!"

That got Weiss's attention. They weren't really going to do that, were they? She threw a sidelong glance at Blake. "Blake, what are they going to do to me?"

Blake didn't answer, but bit her lower lip and looked straight ahead.

"Blake? Please Blake, what are they planning?"

Blake didn't reply, but she nodded ahead. Weiss looked up, and her eyes widened. A thick stake, with wood piled all around it, stood before them.

Blind terror seized Weiss. "No!" Her voice came in a choked whisper. "Not like that!" She stopped, pulling back against Blake's guiding hand. "Please, not like that!"

"Scared, Schnee?" Adam taunted. "You should be."

Somebody gave her a shove from behind, and her broken ankle gave out, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Get her up!"

"Drag her to the stake!"

Somebody got hold of Weiss's long, white hair, and pulled. She twisted and pushed with her good leg, trying to take the pressure off of her hair. Somebody else seized her by her bad leg, and they started dragging her towards stake. The mob whooped and cheered at her pain and humiliation.

"Please! I don't want to die like that! Anything by that!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and she was roughly tossed against the stake. Someone grabbed her throat, and drug her to her feet. She found herself looking straight into the face of the man who it helped her in the airport.

"This is for my ears!" He spat, forcing her head back against the wood. Chains were wrapped around her legs and body, pinioning her fast. Loose wood was thrown against her.

What was left of the unfortunate girl's composure broke. "I don't want to die," she sobbed. "I'll give you anything!"

Adam stood to the side, shouting into a nearby camera.

"Please! Somebody, help me! Blake! Winter! Anybody! Please don't let them burn me!"

Blake stood to the side, sick to her stomach. She debated killing Weiss with a merciful headshot, but she didn't have the courage to risk the wrath of the bloodthirsty crowd. Adam finished his monologue, and walked over to her.

"Prove you're on my side." He held out a torch. Time seemed to stop. Blake knew that if she refused, she stood a good chance of joining Weiss in the fire. Nothing she could do now would save the heiress. With trembling hands, she took the torch, and stepped forward.

"You were my friend..." Weiss whispered.

Blake couldn't speak. She was the worst kind of traitor, she felt filthy and evil and helpless. Closing her eyes, she thrust the torch into the kindling and turned away.

The crowd screamed and cheered as the fire caught, and rapidly spread.

Weiss screamed in fear as the flames spread around her. They licked in closer, blistering her legs. Shattering, primal pain lanced through her body. She tried to scream again, but smoke and heat filled her lungs and choked her. The fire was around her now, her legs and lower body were a mass of agony. She twisted and fought against the chains, animalistic survival Instinct driving her to try and escape. Her clothes caught fire, wreathing her in flames. A ghastly odor filled her nose, and Weiss realized she could smell her own flesh charing. Her prized hair burst into flames, but her entire body hurt so much that nothing could make it worse now. She closed her eyes, and desperately hoped for oblivion. The unstoppable torrent of pain came from all sides, came without respite or mitigation. Her mind swam, her muscles stopped responding. Merciful blackness danced at the edge of consciousness, and Weiss embraced it.

* * *

Blake ran. She ran, blinded by tears and pursued by guilt. She stumbled against her sitting rock, and collapsed to her hands and knees on the far side. She threw up. The sights and sounds and smells of that poor girl burning to death would haunt her for the rest of her life. She sobbed great hot tears, crying for Weiss, and herself, and for what the White Fang had become. Her father and mother would be so ashamed of her. She couldn't stay here, not anymore. This wasn't fighting for freedom, this was hate driven butchery. Ice cold resolve hardened in the back of her mind. Weiss hadn't got the chance to be a Huntress, so Blake would do it for her. In her memory. Wiping away the tears, Blake sat on her rock one last time, planning the next few days. She was still sitting there when she heard Adam's footfalls approaching.

"Blake? It's time."

"Ok."

* * *

The door to Jacques Schnee's office exploded open. General Ironwood spoke without even turning to see who had entered. "Specialist Schnee, you are absent without leave from the Valentine Bay operation."

"Curse you, and curse it." Winter's voice was flat and deadly.

Ironwood turned, regarding Winter evenly. "Specialist Schnee, I am willing to make exceptions given the tragedy your family has suffered. But I am warning you as a friend, please don't say something I can't ignore."

Winter walked purposefully across the room until she stood mere inches in front of the general. "Didn't you see what those bastards did to my sister? How they've splashed the video everywhere?" She hissed. "Why are you here, instead of out there hunting them down?"

"I assure you, we won't rest until we find the responsible parties and it bring them..."

"I think you'll understand if your assurances aren't worth much to me right now." Winter snapped.

"Specialist Schnee, I'm warning you..."

"James." Jacques Schnee spoke in a low voice from behind his desk. "I think it would be best of you left."

Winter took a step to the side, clearing the path to the door. General Ironwood held her gaze for a second, then brushed past her. He paused in the doorway, and looked over his shoulder. "I'm granting you indefinite leave, Specialist Schnee. I imagine you have some things to take care of. And both of you, I'm sorry for your loss."

Winter stared after him until the even tread of his boots faded. Then she turned to her father. The two looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity without a word being said. They both were proud, composed individuals. Finally, Jacques Schnee spoke.

"Whatever you want. Whatever you need. Whatever it takes. The resources of the entire SDC are at your disposal. Find them, Winter. Find them, and kill. Them. All."

Winter stepped to the desk, and put her hand out. "For Weiss."

Her father grasped it, and shook it once. "For Weiss."

Winter turned and walked from the office without another word. Jacques Schnee sat back in his chair, and a vengeful smile spread across his face.

"Brace yourselves. Winter is coming."

* * *

Author's note-

Alas, poor Weiss, we knew her. Oh well, the sins of our fathers. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading the second installment of "Before Their Time." If you liked what you saw, or hey, even if you didn't, drop a review. More chapters are on the way! I know that I said these stories are non-sequential, but I'm going to break that rule and give this one a sequel. I imagine Winter has some unfinished business we should look in on. Til next time!


	3. Avenger

Before Their Time Chapter 3- Avenger

Large, soft snowflakes fell gently across Vale, blanketing the sleeping city in a clean layer of white. Bathed in the cold light of the winter moon, a solitary figure crouched on the roof of Borhman's Quality Imports, watching the street below. The Watcher on the roof didn't seem to mind the cold or the snow, sitting motionless as a statue while flakes collected on her shoulders.

Far off in the distance, the clocktower of All Saints Cathedral slowly rang out the time. Nine times its muffled toll echoed through the still night air, and the Watcher imperceptibly tensed. The time was approaching.

A single hardy pedestrian walked rapidly along the sidewalk below. The Watcher sat with bated breath as the lone figure turned, and began trudging across the nearby park toward the Bullhead transport pads. After a few seconds, the Watcher stood, and began running down the roof of the store. As she reached the end of the roof, a spinning white glyph burst to life under her feet, and catapulted her into the night air.

The lone figure in the park whirled in surprise as Winter Schnee landed in the snow twenty feet behind her. Winter drew herself to her full height as her saber slid into her hand.

"Blake Belladonna. Your sins have come upon you."

* * *

-14 months earlier-

"Specialist Schnee?"

"Don't call me that."

"My apologies. We will be over your target zone in two minutes. Altitude, 1000 meters, speed, 130 knots, heading, due south."

"Thank you. That will be all."

Sergeant Murdoch saluted, then turned on his heel and left the cargo area of the Bullhead. Winter took a few deep breaths, fingering the snowflake pendant around her neck. It had been good of General Ironwood to grant her entire squad indefinite leave, knowing full well what they would do. Within 24-hours of being released from the Valentine Bay operation, all six of Winter's men had reported to SDC headquarters, demanding to join her efforts to avenge her sister. She had never told them to come, or that she was headed to hunt the White Fang. It was just understood, the natural course of action. After the White Fang had broadcast the video of Weiss's brutal execution, Atleisian Intelligence had found their second gear. Within 48 hours, the source of the the broadcast had been traced. A friend in the intelligence community had leaked the location to Winter, but warned her that Vale Security Service was on its way to raid the location. They weren't going to get there in time.

"Doors open in 5...4...3...2...1... Mark!"

The small jump door in the side of the Bullhead slid open, and chill air rushed in. Winter walked to the door, and paused for a second to slip on a pair of thermal imaging goggles.

"For Weiss."

She dove out of the bullhead into the pre-dawn twilight. "Sergeant Murdoch, I am away. Circle at 2 kilometres distance, be ready to land on target at my signal."

"Understood, Commander. Good luck down there."

Winter was already scanning the dark mass of Forever Fall as she plummeted toward the forest. Her thermal goggles picked out a cluster of white dots, maybe 300 meters to her left. Chimneys? She snapped her fingers, and a vortex glyph fired her toward the suspicious area. As she fell, more heat signatures became visible. People! A lot of people. A vicious smile spread across her face.

* * *

Dawn was just beginning to spread gray light through the White Fang camp. Francois stretched, and surveyed the scene. Ahh, moving day. The operation was shifting to Mountain Glenn, and the sooner the better. Eventually, Atlas and Vale would find them and come calling. He wondered if the cooks had coffee on yet. He never got to find out.

* * *

Winter struck with cyclonic fury. A series of thin net glyphs slowed her descent to survivable velocity before she slammed down in the center of camp, nearly crushing a startled dog faunus. He lept away from her, shouting an alarm. A long slash of her saber silenced him forever. The door of a nearby dugout flew open, and a head popped out.

"Francois! What's wrong?"

Winter calmly tossed a dust bomb through the door, and flipped behind a large crate. A scream of warning was cut off by a sharp explosion, and the dugout collapsed.

Before the explosion had time to echo off the sleepy forest, Winter had decapitated a confused deer faunus. As the woman's body fell, Winter shot forward into the camp, propelled by a speed glyph. A rifle shot broke against her aura, and she spun to see a sentry in a camouflaged tower taking aim for a second shot. With a scream of rage and injured pride, Winter hurled herself through the air at the man.

"Die, scum!" She buried her sword in his stomach, then grabbed the rifle from his hands and jumped out of the tower. She casually gunned down three more White Fang as they scrambled from a tent, weapons in hand. Reaching behind her, she caught the hilt of her sword as the dead sentry fell to the ground. By now the camp was on full alert, and White Fang were swarming from all directions.

"Yes! Yes!" Winter screamed, her lust for vengeance and battle fully aroused. "Come and get it, you animals!"

And they came for her. Dozens of terrorists poured out from their shelters and converged on her position. Taking the offensive, Winter threw a shock dust bomb to her left, then glyphed to her right. Deflecting incoming fire with deft swipes of her blade, Winter regained the cover of the tents. Here, in close quarters, the advantage was all hers. She hacked and slashed and blasted her way through White Fang soldiers, grief and rage focused into every cut and stab. As her blood-soaked trail took her near the front of the camp, Winter saw a dark red car lurch forward, and speed from the camp on a dirt road.

"Sergeant Murdoch, vehicle fleeing northwest. Interdict and destroy."

"Copy, engaging."

Pausing to take stock, Winter could see shapes sprinting away from the camp into the shadowy woods. Ah, so they thought they could run, did they? With a flourish, Winter laid down a broad sheet of ice in front of herself. A high explosive dust canister followed. The grenade exploded on impact, vaporizing the ice and creating a choking cloud of freezing vapor.

"That should buy us some time." Calling on her semblance to a depth she rarely used, Winter surrounded herself with whirling glyphs. From the light show, figures began to emerge. Summoned Beowolves, merciless, ice cold, and completely obedient to their master.

"Hunt them down! And bring them back to me, alive." Her monsters turned without a sound, and charged in pursuit of the fleeing White Fang. They wouldn't get all of them, but Winter didn't care. Scattered, without supplies, and brimming with negative emotion, the survivors would fall to the creatures of Grimm within the day.

An explosion in the distance told Winter that the fleeing car hadn't been able to outrun Murdoch's Bullhead. She gathered herself for a renewed assault as her smokescreen began to clear. As visibility improved, she could see that the White Fang had not been idle. Eight terrorists, all well armed and ready to fight, stood before her in semi-circle.

"Sergeant Murdock, I need a gun run 15 yards in front of my position."

"Which one of you is Taurus?" Winter called to the waiting faunus.

The apparent leader, a tall man with a chain sword, answered. "Captain Taurus is long gone, but I will be happy to take you to him. At least, whatever parts of you we can still find when we're done with you."

"Charming. And you think eight of you is enough to stop me? I'm insulted." Winter took a step back as the White Fang advanced toward her.

"Only took two of us to bag the last Atlesian brat," the man replied with a smirk.

Eight trained, fanatical terrorists would have been difficult for Winter to kill in a fair fight, but she wasn't interested in fair fights today.

The roar of the Bullhead's engines grew suddenly louder as it buzzed in low over the crimson treetops. The advancing White Fang paused, and their hesitation doomed them. Winter glyphed backwards as Murdoch's autocannons tore a pair of furrows across the ground. Four of her attackers died where they stood, chopped apart by the torrent of high caliber slugs. A fifth man fell, clutching his stomach and screaming. Leaping into action, Winter threw her last dust bomb at the man with the chain sword. He deflected it, but in the process of saving himself he bounced of the lethal explosive directly into his two remaining team-mates. Dust lightning engulfed both of them.

Before the pieces of the unfortunate White Fang duo hit the ground, Winter struck at the last remaining enemy. Crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye, she slashed at the man legs. Her sword slid off thin plate armor, and she was forced to dodge backwards to avoid a powerful swing of the chain sword.

"You're going to pay for the murder of my sister!" Winter spat as she prepared to renew the assault.

"Your sister?" The man laughed. "I'll see you scream for mercy before you die just like she did. Come on!"

Winter struck at the man in a blind rage. "Monster! Animal! I'll gut you like a fish! Spread your entrails from here to Mistral!" She forced her foe back with a rain of strikes, but in her reckless fury she forgot about the wounded man lying behind her. A pistol shot struck her square between the shoulder blades, driving her forward and dropping her aura to dangerous levels. The grinding blade of the chain sword passed an inch in front of her face as Winter desperately twisted out of its lethal arc.

"Just like the rest of your kind, stupid and arrogant!" The chain sword swung again, and Winter gave more ground, parrying with difficulty. Another pistol shot sang past her ear. She had to end of this now, before one of her enemies got lucky.

A backflip opened a gap between her and the chain sword wielding faunus. Spinning her sword into a reverse grip, Winter charged forward. As the distance closed, she dropped to the ground, sliding under a powerful swing on both knees. In the blink of an eye, Winter snapped back to her feet. Launching herself straight up with a glyph, she twisted in the air behind her target. Too late, he spun to block her downward thrust. Winter drove the point of her sword through the top of his head as she fell, burying the blade to the hilt. The faunus dropped to his knees, and the chain sword fell in the dirt.

Winter paused briefly, noticing the jagged scars atop the head of her defeated enemy. It looked like, years ago, a pair of faunus ears had been crudely cut away. Winter laughed cruelly, then yanked the sword free.

"That's for my sister, you scum," she whispered as the body fell forward.

Bang! Winter jerked sideways as a pistol shot clipped dangerously under her chin. Turning, she walked purposefully toward the last of the White Fang.

"Die! Die!" He frantically emptied the magazine. Winter causally deflected the shots with a shield glyph, never breaking stride. "Why won't you die!"

The man reloaded, scrambling for a magazine as he lay in a growing pool of blood. Winter twisted her wrist, and yanked the gun from his hand with a magna glyph. She stopped ten feet from him, and twirled her sword.

"Do I remind you of anyone?"

"No! No! Please don't kill me! It wasn't my idea!"

"Ok, answer one question for me and I won't kill you."

"Anything!"

Winter knelt beside him. "What was done with the remains of girl you fanatical heathens murdered three days ago?"

Her victim paused, as if unsure whether the truth would help or not. "Promise not to kill me?"

"Cross my heart," Winter replied with exaggerated sincerity.

"We... uhh... they... dumped her body in the pit behind the camp."

Winter stood. "Thank you for your cooperation." She turned, and as she did a small glyph spun to life beside her. Ice and light danced together, and a deathstalker the size of a large dog morphed into being.

"Wait! You said you weren't going to kill me! You promised!"

Winter shrugged, and started walking toward the back of the camp. "I'm not. It will." The panicked screaming behind her was abruptly cut off by the crunch of breaking bones and a wet ripping noise.

"Sergeant Murdoch, the camp is secure. Set down in the clearing on the north side, and search for intelligence. I dispatched a pack of glyph beowolves to hunt down White Fang runners. If they bring any back alive, secure the prisoners and extract for later interrogation."

"Understood. Nice work down there, Commander."

The walk back through the camp was surreal. Shattered bodies lay scattered about the camp, posed in a macabre exhibit of violent death. Winter stepped over rivulets of blood. Half-eaten breakfasts lay where they had been dropped. Nearly single-handedly, she had obliterated one of the White Fang's most dangerous field units. But now, as Winter looked through the scene of devastation and revenge, no sense of accomplishment filled her, no comfort for her loss. There wasn't enough faunus blood in the world to wash clean the pain that crushed her heart.

She heard the Bullhead landing as her slow, almost aimless pace brought her to the refuse pit behind the camp. Steeling herself, she looked in. At first, all she saw was random garbage, proof that the camp was being abandoned. Then, her breath caught as she recognized the hilt of a familiar weapon. Myrtenaster!

Leaping into the pit, Winter seized the weapon. The blade was broken, snapped halfway up. Setting it aside, she fell to her knees and began scrabbling though the garbage. Pushing aside debris, she uncovered a suitcase belonging to her sister. She scooped it up, only to drop it to the side with a strangled cry.

Staring up at her was a charred, twisted face. Despite the hair being burned away and the eye sockets being nothing more than sunken horrors, Winter had no doubt who she was looking at. Around the scorched, shriveled neck of the body, hung the blackened remains of a Schnee family pendant.

Winter broke. Gone was the remorseless killing machine, and in its place was a heartbroken girl grieving for her little sister.

"I'm sorry, Weiss. I failed you. When you needed me most, I wasn't there for you. I couldn't save you."

Hot tears slid down her face, splashing across her sister's body. Winter remembered an old Atlesian lullaby, sung to her on cold nights by a kind old nanny. It wasn't much of a funeral song, but it was the best she could do.

"Snowflakes gently falling down, Lying softly on the ground, Close your eyes, stay warm tonight, Rest beneath the silver light..."

Winter couldn't make it any further.

* * *

The funeral was a grand affair. Half of Atlas came to pay their respects to the Schnee family. Ironwood himself delivered a powerful eulogy, praising the determination and spirit of the martyred girl. Violins played as Weiss's gilded casket was carried in state along a path strewn with white roses. She was laid to rest in the Schnee family mausoleum, there to sleep in eternal silence alongside the war heroes, explorers, and tycoons that had cut the Schnee legacy out of the ice and rock of Atlas. "A worthy resting place", they said.

Winter hated every minute of it. She hated the fake sympathy of the mourners, well-dressed socialites rushing up to her and gushing their condolences. She hated Whitley for sleeping through the Mantel Girls Chorus, come to honor one of their brightest pupils. But most of all, she hated the inaction. Murdoch and his men had uncovered a wealth of information in the camp covering in White Fang logistics and communications. Every hour that she wasn't out there, in pursuit of the monsters that had wrought this, Taurus and his followers slipped further away.

The autumn sun set early in Atlas, and the day's dying rays cast a pale orange glow over the marble and granite of Stiller Hügel Cemetery. A solitary white-clad figure stood inside one of the chilled, lifeless stone structures. Winter Schnee reverently opened Myrtenaster's damaged travel case, and placed the broken weapon atop the polished stone face of her sister's crypt. She ran one hand along the unfeeling marble. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

"Wherever you are, Weiss, know this, I won't stop until I have brought justice to every last one of the monsters who put you here. I swear it."

And then, without another word, Winter turned walked into the dusk. She had work to do.

* * *

So began the Crusade of Winter Schnee. With the full backing of Atlas Intelligence and with the limitless financial resources of the SDC, Winter and her small team hunted the White Fang from one corner of Remnant to the other. Recruiters were brutally murdered and their bodies dumped in public places as a warning to any who would be foolish enough to follow in their footsteps. Corrupt bankers who funded the terrorists found themselves exposed by anonymous leaks to the authorities. Black market arms dealers disappeared without a trace. The further Winter dug, the more she found. Each safehouse or communications relay she raided lead her to two more.

Of course, the White Fang did not take this lying down. They fought back with increasingly violent attacks, indiscriminately bombing and shooting at anyone or anything that they felt represented humanity's oppression. It was whispered that the remorseless war Atlas supported only served to fan the flames of the militant faunus movement. Winter didn't care. She had become obsessed with hunting and destroying every last White Fang member, supporter, and sympathizer. She had obtained a full list of Taurus's force from the time Weiss was killed, and she wouldn't stop until she had a black line through every last name. She didn't have many left.

* * *

"Overwatch 1-4 to Ice Queen, 1-4 to Ice Queen, over."

"Ice Queen receiving."

"We have a visual on an unknown player. Female, tall, black hair, red clothes. She is entering the rear of the target building."

"Log it. Send any surveillance pictures for attempted facial recognition."

"Copy. Overwatch 1-4 out."

Winter rubbed her forehead, and reached for her thermos of Atlesian Black. Normally she would never allow herself to drink coffee in the field, but the chill air of the unexpectedly cold fall night in Vale had convinced her to make an exception. She winced as she lifted the small silver canister to her lips.

"Arm still needs to heal." Murdoch grunted from his sniper nest beside her. It wasn't a question, or a sympathetic comment, merely an observation. Winter didn't reply, too proud admit what the seasoned warrior obviously already knew. The White Fang had finally deduced the identity of the boogeyman that dogged their footsteps, and sent an assassin to rid themselves of the menace. Winter would bear the scars of that encounter to her dying day, but from the body of Marcus Black she had pulled the piece of information that had eluded her throughout her year-long war. The location of Adam Taurus.

See, the systematic destruction of the White Fang's network had made them careless. With their normal contacts destroyed, they had been forced into partnerships that would have been unthinkable a year before. This was how Adam Taurus came to be associated with the likes of Roman Torchwick, and it was the Marcus Black / Roman Torchwick connection that had given Winter the break she had been looking for. Now, Winter and her men lay in wait surrounding a warehouse on the docks of Vale. Torchwick was inside, along with a fortune in stolen dust. If her intel was right, the White Fang was making a buy tonight, and with quantities of dust like were in question here it was almost certain leadership would be on-site.

"Overwatch 1-2, I have eyes on a gray sedan approaching from the south."

Winter peered out the darkened window of the fishery she was stationed in. A lone car, driving without headlights, rolled slowly along in the street below.

"Well that's definitely suspicious." She slowly leaned back, and picked up her night vision binoculars. The car stopped beside the warehouse, and the three men exited. Winter's heart skipped a beat.

"Ice Queen to all Overwatch elements, positive identification on Taurus. I repeat, positive on Taurus." Winter watched with bated breath as the new arrivals entered the building. This was it. This was really, finally, it. "Ice Queen to Odin. Hammer Down is in effect, I repeat, Hammer Down is in effect."

"Odin copies. 15 seconds to release."

Time crawled.

"Snowball away. Duck and cover." Far above, a glide bomb fell away from an Albatross 4 heavy attack airship. Winter sat down, back to the wall, and waited.

Thunder and lightning tore through the calm of the autumn night. Torchwick's dust stockpile detonated in a fireball visible 50 km away. Debris rained down on the surrounding buildings, bringing massive property damage and random civilian casualties with it. Through it all, Winter sat with her head in her hands, shaking with emotion. It was almost done. Taurus was gone, Weiss was all but avenged. Only one name remained on her list.

"Overwatch Actual to all Overwatch elements." Murdoch's calm voice came through the comms. "Positive effect on target. Radio silence from here out. Rally at Waypoint Echo in 45 minutes."

Winter stood, and picked up her gear. Forward, as always. For Weiss.

* * *

Ruby Rose stared in horror at the television on her dresser.

"...police say that a final casualty figure could take days, but they can confirm that last night's explosion at Starlight Dustworks has claimed the lives of more than two dozen workers, mostly low income faunus laborers. We will keep you updated with breaking news as this tragic story develops. I'm Lisa Lavender, and this is VNN."

"That's awful." Ruby whispered. "Those poor men were just trying to make a living for their families. I wish there was something we could do to help the survivors." She turned and looked at the rest of team RDBY.

The normally cheerful and irrepressible Yang sat on the edge of her bunk, a thoughtful frown darkening her face. Blake looked near tears. Even Dove, usually indifferent at best to faunus and their problems, looked concerned.

"I know!" Ruby clapped her hands in excitement. "As second-year students, it is our job to show leadership on things like this. We'll take a collection from the students at Beacon, and donate it to a charity that can help! I'll get busy, maybe make some posters..."

And with that, she was off, one girl out to solve the world's problems, totally unaware of what she was about to set in motion.

* * *

"Well, we're about out of time for tonight. Let's wrap it up, we can start into chapter four next week." Tukson closed his copy of "Ninjas of Love, Blossom Harvest", and stood up. As the rest of the Thursday evening book club fell to packing up books and putting away thermoses of tea, the bookstore proprietor walked over to Blake. "Stay a minute after?"

"Sure." Blake was in no hurry to venture into the early winter snow that blanketed the town. She almost stayed at Beacon tonight, but the group readings of Ninjas of Love had become a weekly staple for her, and the thought of being stuck in the dorm playing yet another round of World of Remnant with Ruby and Yang had convinced her to brave the cold. She stood to the side, browsing a copy of Huntsman Weekly as the bookstore emptied out. Finally, when they were alone, Tukson walked over to her.

"I'm glad you came tonight, I was afraid the bad weather would keep you at Beacon."

Blake shrugged. "In my line of work, can't let little snow stop you I guess."

"True, true. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't make a point to bring it up, but I'm sure you know I'm a faunus. I work with Stronger Together, a charity that specializes in helping poor faunus families. They wanted me to give you this, and see that it is delivered to Ruby Rose."

He withdrew a sealed, decorative envelope from his vest pocket and handed it to Blake.

"It's a personal thank you from Stronger Together to Miss Rose and her team for the fundraising efforts they did in the wake of the tragic explosion at the dust warehouse last month. She raised almost 5,000 lien for us. The victims and their families wanted to express their gratitude for such caring and generosity."

Blake took the envelope, and carefully tucked it into her book bag. "Thank you. I'll make sure she gets this, I'm sure it will make her day. She's such a kind and innocent soul, she's just happy to help people for helpings sake."

"The world could use a few thousand more of her then," Tukson replied. "But I'm keeping you late, I'm sure you have classes and training in the morning."

"Oh, I'm sure that I'll hear about my late hours from my team-mates, but it'll be okay." She shrugged on her coat and took her book bag. "See you next week!"

Walking out of the bookstore, Blake lowered her head against the cold air and trudged towards the Bullhead Taxi. She had plenty of time to catch the last run to Beacon. Not for the first time in her life, Blake wished she had been a different kind of faunus, maybe one that didn't mind the cold. Menagerie was great this time of year, she reflected. The rainy season wouldn't have settled in yet, and temperate afternoons would give way to dry, chilly nights. She remembered sitting in front of a glowing fire pit with her father and mother as they read books to her, and roasted fish on the coals. Maybe someday, when she had made something of her life, made amends for the misspent years, she would go back to Menagerie and sit in front of that fire pit again. Someday...

Helping Ruby with her fundraising drive had been nice. Watching the earnest girl convinced tight-fisted citizens of Vale to open their wallets for the needy faunus families had almost convinced Blake that there was still good in the world. Tukson was right, the world needed a few thousand more Rubys. The problem was, for every Ruby there seemed to be at least two Adams, people driven by hate and filled only with the desire to fight.

"And at least two people like you", her conscience reminded her. "People too weak to stand up to the crowd, and who abandon their friends when they need them most." Blake did her best to quash that thought, as she always did. The past, no matter how painful, was the past, and she had resolved to spend the rest of her life fighting for what was good and right.

The cold seemed to press in on her, and on impulse she turned and cut across Greenwood Park. The shortcut would take her through fresh fallen snow, but it would cut 10 minutes off her walk. It would be better to wait in the warmth of the taxi hut than to walk in the cold. She had covered about fifty feet across the park when a strange, soft humming sound tickled her enhanced hearing. Before she had time to think about it, a heavy thud in the snow behind her cause her to whirl in surprise. A tall, white haired woman stood behind her, a long, thin sword in her hand.

"Blake Belladonna. Your sins have come upon you."

Blake's stomach dropped, and her heart froze. Not from fear, for she had faced armed opponents intent on hurting her, and hordes of rampaging grimm. No, what turned Blakes blood to ice was the face and hair of the woman before her. She knew, in an instant, who this woman was. "Weiss..." It was all she could choke out.

"You recognize me then? Good." The newcomer twirled her sword and slowly circled Blake. "My name is Winter Schnee, and I believe you've met my sister."

Blake's tongue felt is thick as a Beowulf's arm. This couldn't be happening. This was a nightmare, some horrible hallucination. She tried to speak, to scream, to wake herself up, but no words came.

"Nothing to say for yourself? No denials, no fanatical threats?" Winter paused, as though genuinely disappointed.

"I... I... tried to stop it!" The dam broke, and the words all came in a rush. "I talked with her, and we had things in common, and we didn't hate each other, and I gave her lemon water! I tried to smuggle her out, but it was too late, and she told me not to throw my life away because she wouldn't be able to run anyway, and then...and then I... Adam made me..." The truth of what had happened next was still too horrible for Blake to verbalize.

Winter scoffed. "You expect me to believe that my sister made friends with a faunus terrorist who was participating in her kidnapping and murder? And that that same terrorist was prepared to sacrifice herself to save my sister? You aren't a very good liar. But we both know what actually happened, don't we? I've seen the video, and I interrogated survivors. I know what you did."

"Wait. Survivors?"

"Just a few of them. You and Taurus may have escaped the camp before I found it, but believe me, nobody escaped afterwards. And you're the very last one, Blake. The whole detachment of you, right up the line to Taurus, I've killed every last one of them. Clever of you to infiltrate a Huntsmen Academy, it kept you off the radar for a long time. But you screwed up when you and your accomplice went fundraising for a White Fang front group, and you talked to one of our agents. From there, it was just a matter of time."

Blake's mind swam. It was all coming too fast. Adam and the rest of them were all dead? Fundraising for the White Fang? Accomplice? Ruby!

"You've got it all wrong!" Blake protested. "I left the White Fang because of what they did to Weiss, and Ruby and I weren't fundraising for the White Fang, we were trying to raise money for needy faunus families. She doesn't even know I'm a faunus!" Blake pointed at the bow fastened securely around her second set of ears. "You can't blame her for this!"

Winter shrugged. "That's not for me to decide. The authorities here, no matter how incompetent, will be forced to investigate when we turn over all our information about your activities to them. I'm sure your network in Beacon will be exposed, and justice meted out to the guilty parties. My only concern now is you, and the fact you burned my sister alive." Winter's voice took on a dark, remorseless tone.

"Fine," Blake sighed, raising her hands in defeat. "I surrender. I'll give a full statement to the authorities, if only to prevent Ruby, Yang, and Dove, from having their lives destroyed by a meaningless investigation."

"You'll do no such thing," Winter growled, shifting her stance. "I don't need your confession. You slaughtered my sister, and all I need to see is your blood on the snow."

* * *

The woman moved so fast Blake barely had time to register. She jerked her head sideways as tip of the sword whistled under her chin. A shadow clone took the second blow for her has Blake backflipped out of the way. Dropping her book bag, she sprinted deeper into the park, cursing herself for leaving a Gambol's Shroud at Beacon. Winter was hard on her heels, a silent, vengeful specter flying after her through the night.

Blake desperately looked ahead for options. A pine tree loomed ahead, and she made for it. As she shot past the tree, she stuck out her right arm and caught the trunk in the crook of her elbow. The sudden arresting of her flight jerked her around the tree and back towards Winter.

"Hi-ya!" Blake met her pursuer head on with a two-footed jump kick.

"Oooof!" Winter slid on her back with the wind driven from her lungs, cursing herself for her carelessness. Recovering quickly, she flipped back to her feet, twirling her sword defensively. Blake was nowhere to be seen.

"Sneaky faunus coward scum," Winter spat. "You just think you can get away that easily. Overwatch, come in. I need eyes."

"Overwatch 1-2, Target is moving east across the park using a drainage ditch as cover. Be advised, Target will enter surveillance zone of Overwatch Actual in 20 seconds."

"Understood." Winter turned, and set off on a dead run across the park on a course to intercept the end of the ditch. If her time with the ALRRB had tought her anything, it was to always know the lay of the land.

Murdoch's calm, professional voice came over the earpiece. "I've got her on thermals. Moving to intercept."

* * *

"Focus! Focus! Focus!"

Blake repeated the word over and over as she ran, trying to rationalize the situation. It seemed obvious that Winter Schnee was operating outside of the law of Vale. This played to Blake's advantage. If she could escape the park, she could contact the police. This would expose her, lead to her arrest, but at least the rest of her team would be safe from this vigilante assassin. Besides, her cover was blown anyway. Killing Winter crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. She had no intention of further compounding her crimes. She considered running, vanishing into the underworld of Vale and from there into the Wilds outside the Kingdom, but she dismissed that idea too. For better or worse, it was time to face what she was, and what she had done.

The snow was deeper in the ditch, and it drug at Blake's feet as she ran. Two-thirds of the way through the park, she slowed her headlong retreat to a jog, and scanned the trees ahead of her. Any normal human, even a huntsman, would have missed the figure of a man leaning out from behind an oak, but, not for the first time in her life, Blake's faunus vision saved her. She jumped forward and lept off a half-buried rock, twisting her body as she dove for cover. She heard the crack-swish-thump as a crossbow fired, and the bolt passed beneath her before burying itself in the snow.

Blake swore as she somersaulted forward through the snow. More of them! Of course, she should have seen this coming, the Schnees wouldn't send just one person to do their dirty work. Oh well, time to even the odds.

Dodging left and right, and dropping shadow clones as fast as she could, Blake closed in on the Bowman. A second bolt flew wide as she pounced. She rolled over and over in the snow, locked in a ferocious hand-to-hand fight with her new foe. He was an older man, dressed in Atlesian snow spec-ops gear. A professional. He was stronger and heavier than Blake, but she was quicker. A lightning fast flurry of right hooks dazed the man, and Blake jerked free of his grip. She rolled once to open some distance, then snapped a side kick into the man's midriff as he stood. He doubled over with a grunt of pain, but as he did so Blake saw a suppressed automatic pistol slip into his left hand.

Acting on instinct, she stepped in and caught the man's wrist. Grabbing the gun with her other hand, she twisted hard. Two bullets flew into the night. Blake felt bone crack in the man's wrist, and with a cry of pain, the gun slipped from his fingers. She was about to kick him away when she was interrupted by a blur of motion at the periphery of her vision. A glowing white burst of spectral energy flew from the shadows. The Schnee had caught up with her. Ducking under the ranged glyph assault, Blake wrapped her left arm around the man's neck and jerked him back against herself. She waved the pistol in Winter's direction.

"Stay back! I'm warning you, stay back!"

Winter walked into the open, slowly twirling her sword. "Overwatch elements, collapse to my position. Taking hostages now, are we? Looks like your true colors are showing, Belladonna."

The man in Blake's grip was calm, but tensed, every muscle coiled for instant action. Blake knew that any mistake here would be fatal.

"Look, I'm prepared to surrender. I'll make a full statement to the authorities. Nobody has to get hurt here tonight."

"Then drop the pistol and give yourself up."

"I'll only surrender to the proper authorities. You'd just kill me here in the park, and I'm not one to meekly kneel for slaughter."

"Oh, I know what your game is, faunus. I've seen far too many corrupt local authorities to fall for that one. Before tomorrow is over you will have mysteriously "escaped", and nobody will ever know anything. And even if you stayed in custody, Atlas would have you extradited to face trial for terrorism and murder. I'd see you in front of a firing squad within the month, and you know it." Winter paced back and forth like a tiger on a leash.

"Don't you understand? I tried to leave that to life! I don't want to hurt anyone!" Blake protested desperately. "But I can't let my friends be blamed for my past mistakes."

"Very noble of you," Winter sneered. "Do it."

"Do wha-" Blake realized too late that it was Winter, not her, that had been stalling for time. A soft bump in the snow behind her was her only warning. A low-grade shock dust explosion blasted her and her hostage off their feet, and knocked the pistol from Blake's grip. Instinctively rolling, Blake came up in a defensive crouch. Even as three more camo clad figures flitted from the dark, Winter was on her. Blake's aura screamed as Winter's sword slashed across her side. Lessons taught her by her father and Adam kicked in, and she struck at Winters wrist as the blow landed. A vicious blow to the base of her assailant's thumb sent Winter's sword slicing into the snow. Unarmed, the white haired woman took a step back.

"Stand down," she ordered the Atlesian Commandos. "This fight is mine."

Blake spared a glance for the newcomers, one of whom was helping her erstwhile hostage to his feet, before turning her attention back to Winter Schnee. "Look, I admit it, okay? I was an accessory to the murder of your sister. I'm guilty. But my team had nothing to do with it, and you can't ruin their lives and reputations over this. Please give me the chance to tell the truth."

Winter didn't say a word, she only clinched her hands into fists and charged. Blake met her halfway, and the pair fell into a vicious, high speed, hand-to-hand fight. Kicks and punches flew so fast that the four onlookers could barely track who was winning. Blake had been fighting her entire life, and the last year at Beacon had honed her into a world-class combat machine. Even so, she struggled to hold her own against the ferocious assault of the Atlas Specialist.

Both combatants bled aura as they traded blows. "I'm glad it's going to end this way," Winter hissed as she glanced a kick off Blake's thigh. "Weiss's killer deserves nothing less than a personal beatdown from a Schnee."

Blake slipped under a jab and drove her fist against Winter's side. "Can't you see? You've let your hate consume you! You're not interested in the truth, only vengeance!"

"Then vengeance it is! The only truth I care about now is killing you and every last faunus terrorist like you!" Winter drove Blake back with a whirlwind of kicks. Few students at Beacon could stand up to Blake in hand-to-hand combat, but now she found herself outnumbered and outclassed. She had to end this, and quickly.

Blake jumped back a long step, and Winter took the bait. As she jumped towards Blake with a powerful sidekick, the faunus girl sidestepped and caught her leg. Blake spun Winter in a full circle before hurling her into the closest tree. Bark and snow flew in all directions as Winter crashed against the trunk. Blake followed her in a blur of motion, driving a knee up into the white-haired woman's chest. Winter deflected the blow, and countered with an elbow to Blake's midriff. Blake slipped back, but before she could launch a new attack Winter flew forward with a glyph-aided burst of speed. Closing the gap in the blink of an eye, Winter backflipped as she reached Blake.

Blake saw it coming, but Winter was just too fast. Her boot caught Blake square on the chin. The blow would have snapped the neck of a normal person like a dry stick. Blake's aura, depleted from the fight, saved her, but just barely. As she hit the ground, a cold tingle ran through her body. Her aura was broken.

Blake didn't panic, she had too much combat experince for that. She spun back to her feet, assuming a defensive position as Winter closed in for the kill. Winter tried to put Blake in a joint lock, but she flipped out of it and wrapped her right arm around Winter's body. With a grunt of effort, she threw the heavier woman down in the snow.

Seizing her chance, Blake turned and started to run toward the nearby tree line. She didn't make it very far. A brilliant white star-shaped glyph exploded beneath her feet, and it's points whipped up and wrapped around her shin. For the first time that night, Blake felt real pain. Deep, bone jarring pain. The glyph drug her down, and she fell to one knee with a strangled scream.

"Shut her up!"

Blake slammed a fist into the snow trying to drive herself free of the trap, but she was too late. A powerful set of arms clamped around her neck, cutting off her cries. She grabbed the forearm of her assailant, and tried to flip him over her shoulder, but he was too strong, and pulled her back.

"-et e go!" Blake gasped for air and tore against the arm that was choking her. Her leg was on fire, and her vision swam from pain and lack of oxygen. To her surprise, the Commando holding her released her. A split second later, a massive blow to the back of her head sent her sprawling face-first in the snow. She coughed and spit snow from her mouth as she pushed herself up with her hands, only to freeze as a familiar white boot stomped down an inch in front of her face. Winter loomed over her, sword back in her hand. In desperation, Blake tried to grab her ankle, but Winter viciously kicked her hand away. A second later, three more star glyph traps locked down her hands and remaining foot.

"That's an Ursa trap. I came up with that glyph myself. It looks painful." Winter twisted her wrist, and the glyphs crunched tighter on Blake's limbs.

"Ahh! Stop it! Please!"

"The begging and pleading phase already? I expected more of you." She turned to her squad. "Leave us. Prep the vehicle for exfil, I'll join you in ten."

Blake watch as the four soldiers vanished silently into the trees. She was alone with Winter now, and this scared her even more than being outnumbered. The horrible irony of her situation sunk in. Just like Weiss, she lay alone, helpless in front of her captors, with no way to fight or call for help, incapacitated and unable to flee, waiting to die for crimes she hadn't caused. As Blake sat on all fours in the snow, the glyphs digging into her muscles, Winter stooped close.

"Any last words, faunus?"

A pair of tears rolled down Blake's cheeks. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She was going to make something of her life, help people, fight for justice, make amends for her past. Now, she was going to die alone in a snowy park, for nothing, and be remembered by the only friends she had as a terrorist spy. Life suddenly didn't seem worth fighting for anymore.

"Just... make it quick."

"No promises."

Winter stepped to her side, and a long, jagged ice dagger materialized in her hand. She grabbed the hood of Blake's coat and pulled up, exposing her side. Blake screwed her eyes shut and waited for the blow.

"For Weiss."

White hot agony exploded through Blake's abdomen as Winter slammed the dagger in below her sternum, and drove it up into her guts. Blake instinctively twisted away from the blade, and Winter released the trap glyphs, letting her fall on her side. With a savage twist, the knife was yanked back out of her belly. Blake rolled on her back, writhing in pain as she clutched at the gaping wound. Winter knelt beside her and whispered in her ear.

"See you in hell, Belladonna." Winter dug her fingers into Blake's hair, and yanked off the bow that had hidden her faunus heritage for so long. Then she stood, and walked away, leaving Blake alone in the snow.

She couldn't scream, the knife had punctured her diaphragm. The only sound she could manage was a bubbly rasping. She could barely breathe, each breath felt like lifting a thousand pounds of nails with her lungs. A sickening stench from her shredded bowels wafted across her nose. Her body tried to vomit, but only succeeded in producing an excruciating spasm. Blood pooled around her, turning the trampled snow deep red. Instinctively, vainly, Blake pressed her hands over the long gash, trying to stem the flow of blood. The warm, thick fluid flowed around her fingers without abatement, and she could feel the rubbery mass of her organs below the wound.

Thoughts flashed through her mind as her body slowly gave up. Would her team hate her? She suspected they would. After all, she was a liar, and a criminal, and was about to bring untold trouble into their lives. Would anybody tell her parents she was dead? She hoped not, for that meant they would learn what she had done. It was best if she just faded into their memories. "Everywhere I've gone and everybody I've known has had nothing but trouble and pain because of me," She thought despondently. "I deserve this."

Everything was cold. The world was shrinking, closing down to nothing but dark and pain and cold. Was there anything after this? Blake had never given much thought to the afterlife, and she hoped it hadn't given much thought to her. She couldn't imagine that anything that might await her would be pleasant. A heaving sob escaped her, the effort pumping more blood from her ruined torso.

In the corner of her vision, Blake saw a figure approaching. A woman, dressed in white. It's the Schnee, Blake realized, come back to finish me off. Her eyes drifted shut. Better this way. So...cold...

"Blake..." A hauntingly familiar voice pierced the fog of pain. Her eyes fluttered open. The woman in white knelt beside her. It wasn't Winter.

"W- W- Weiss?"

"Shhh, Blake. Rest now." Warm hands settled on Blake's forehead. Calming, soothing heat flowed down across her pain-wracked body.

"Why? I... I burned you."

A gentle finger settled on her lips. "Shhh. It's ok, Blake. I understand, I forgave you. Now come, there's nothing left to be afraid of on the other side."

Blake relaxed, letting out a long, relieved sigh. She took Weiss's hand, and let her friend help her to her feet. Weiss was right. There wasn't anything left to be afraid of now.

* * *

"Yang! Dove! Get up!" Rose petals drifted down as Ruby paced back and forth in the dorm room at full speed.

"Wha...?"

"Blake's gone! She never came back last night, her bed hasn't been slept in. She won't answer her scroll!"

Dove rolled over and sat up in his bunk. "That's odd. It wouldn't be the first time she stayed out all night, but she always tells us."

Yang stretched. "What time is it?"

"6:30! Now get up you two, I'm going to notify Headmaster Ozpin and the police, then we can start searching for her!"

"Now hold on a second, Ruby," Yang began, but it was too late. Ruby darted to the door, and yanked it open. Her nose bumped against the chest of a man standing at the threshold. "Eeeep! I mean, Headmaster Ozpin! And... the police. Oh no! Blake! Something's happened to Blake!"

A burly officer brushed past Ozpin, forcing Ruby to step back into the room.

"Ruby Rose?"

"Yes?"

"You are under arrest on charges of murder, terrorism, espionage, and conspiracy." As he spoke, he firmly gripped the stunned girl's arm and produced a pair of handcuffs. More officers poured into the room.

"Now just a minute!" Yang sprung from her bunk, eyes glowing a dangerous shade of red. She froze as a half-dozen dust carbines leveled at her.

"Yang Xiao Long, Dove Bronzewing, you are both under arrest on the same charges. Hands behind your backs, now!"

Two officers seized Yang's shoulders while another pair unceremoniously drug Dove from his bunk. Ruby, bewildered and near tears, looked at Ozpin. "What's happening? Why are we being arrested? And where is Blake?"

Ozpin looked back at her grimly. "Miss Rose, I hope for all your sakes that this is nothing more than a terrible misunderstanding. Right now, you need to go with the police, and tell the Justice Commission everything you know."

"Know? Know about what?" Yang demanded as the three of them were pushed towards the door.

Ozpin didn't reply.

* * *

For Ruby, the next week was pure hell. She thought she would die from the humiliation of being marched out of Beacon in handcuffs, but what came next was worse. Separated from her team, forced to wear an ill-fitting prison uniform, and locked in a dim, cold cell, Ruby sat in the corner of her prison and wept.

Finally, they had come back for her. She was questioned for hours on end by detectives and government agents, grilled about things which she knew nothing about. Who was her White Fang contact? What had the money she had raised for Stronger Together gone to fund? How long had she known Blake Belladonna? Was she aware Dove Bronzewing had a prior conviction for selling illegal narcotics? Her pitful denials only seemed to anger her interrogators, and the day after day they threatened her with increasingly long prison sentences if she didn't give up everything she knew about "The Conspiracy."

Nobody would say a word to her about the rest of her team. By now she had deduced that Blake was accused of being some kind of terrorist, but beyond that her captors volunteered no information. Finally, after six days that felt like six weeks, a lone guard let Ruby out of her cell. To her surprise, she was not handcuffed. Expecting a trap, she followed the man warily until he opened a heavy door, and motioned for her to enter a large conference room. To her joyful suprise, Yang and Dove were seated at a large table. Headmaster Ozpin sat across from them.

Rose petals flew as the sisters reunited. But their joy was to be short-lived. Ozpin leaned across the table. "Sit down, Miss Rose. First off, I want you to know that the three of you are cleared of all charges. You will be immediately reinstated as students of Beacon, and all record of this expunged from your files. Our investigation shows you have no guilt in this matter."

"What matter?" Dove growled. "I think we are owed some kind of explanation after the last week."

Ozpin ran one hand through his hair. "This... isn't going to be easy to hear."

* * *

Ruby cried softly. Dove sat with his head bowed, lips moving silently as he recited the prayer for the dead. Yang gripped the table, her eyes a pair of crimson infernos. "And they just dumped her in the park like an animal? What's going to be done to the people that did this?"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Miss Xiao Long, our investigation uncovered abundant proof that Miss Belladonna was heavily involved in criminal activities before her time at Beacon. Had Atlas presented their proof, and requested her extradition to face trial, she would have been lucky to escape with a life imprisonment sentence. As the matter rests now, the commander of their Special Forces team will receive a formal reprimand for operating in the territory of Vale without notifying our government."

"And that's it?" Yang snarled. "She didn't even get a trial!"

Ozpin sighed. "It is... regrettable... that Atlas took this course of action, but you must not lose sight of the fact that Blake, whatever she was when you knew her, was for most of her life, a soldier in a very real war. It was a war she chose to be a part of, and the repercussions of that choice followed her even after she tried to leave the fight behind."

Yang sank back in her chair, grief, denial, and anger competing for supremacy on her face. Ruby spoke up quietly.

"What was done with her body?"

"It is still in custody of the Vale Justice Commission. If no family comes forward to claim it within 90 days, her remains will be cremated and the ashes spread over the common cemetery at All Saint's Cathedral."

"Blake never talked about family anywhere. We'll claim her," Dove announced.

"You'll have to wait the required 90 days," Ozpin replied. "Just in case."

"Then we'll wait," Yang replied in a voice that brooked no argument. "We won't see Blake scattered to the wind and forgotten."

Ozpin nodded. "I'll make the arrangements for you."

* * *

In a quiet corner of Daybreak Cemetery, underneath a spreading elm tree, an unremarkable headstone lies among the grass. The years have dulled the polish, and the groundskeepers have long ago stopped reading the inscription as they pass by. No one ever visits the grave, its occupant lies undisturbed in the sleep that knows no waking. Undisturbed, except for one day every year, when three figures meet there in the early winter chill. There they share a glass of Menagerie Gold, and talk of days gone by. Then they part, and the sleeper remains at rest underneath her cold marble monument, underneath the words;

Blake Belladonna Huntress Age 18 She was our Friend.

* * *

Authors Note: Well, that was gut-wrenching. This was honestly an emotional story to write. Trying to show Winter's rage and grief along side Blake's remorse was a difficult balance. I ended up with more story than I expected after Blake died, but upon review I didn't want to cut any of it. The next chapter will revert back to being a stand-alone. If you enjoyed the read, I would appreciate any feedback you've got. Drop a review, comments are always welcome. 'Til next time!

Merry Christmas!


	4. Dreams pt1

Before Their Time Chapter 4- Dreams, Part 1

"Vulture 7! Vulture7! This is Yang Xiao Long! I need immediate medivac at the mouth of shaft four! We are overrun, I repeat, we are overrun! This operation zone is lost!"

* * *

"Fetch!" For nearly the two hundredth time that day, Ruby Rose launched a stick across her backyard. As a gray blur hurtled in pursuit, Ruby turned and scanned the road leading to her father's house. Shielding her eyes against the afternoon sun, she looked for any sign of the approach of the postal truck. There was none. Sighing with impatient disappointment, she turned back to Zwei, who had captured his prey and obediently returned it to his mistress. Tail wagging eagerly, he dropped the stick at her feet and awaited the next throw. Zwei was a creature of almost unlimited energy, one of the few beings anywhere capable of tiring Ruby or her half-sister, Yang Xiao-Long. Most days, Ruby grew bored of playing fetch after a few dozen throws, maybe a hundred at the most. Today, as the 13-year old once again picked up the stick, it looked as if the dog may finally face a challenge.

Zwei's ears pricked, and Ruby froze. "What is it, Zwei? You hear something, boy?"

She cocked her head, and listened. Now, she could hear it too. A low rumble of an engine.

In a flash, Ruby was gone. Rose petals drifted in her wake as she sprinted at top speed up the long, winding drive toward the main road. Zwei followed, barking madly, certain that some excitement lay ahead. As Ruby careened up the driveway, she saw to her delight that the mail truck was indeed parking at their family mailbox. As she slid to a halt in the gravel next to the truck, Marcus Sloan, Patch's rural route delivery man, stuck his head out the window.

"Afternoon, Ruby."

"Hi, Mr. Sloan! Do you... um... do you by chance have any mail for me?"

Zwei bounded up beside her as the mailman climbed down from his truck, leather mail pouch in hand. "Still waiting to hear back from Signal Academy, are you?"

"Yes sir!" It was no secret to anyone even remotely familiar with her family that Ruby had been set on following her mother's footsteps and becoming a Huntress ever since she was old enough to know what a huntress was. Signal Academy was to be her first step in realizing that dream.

As Marcus Sloan dug with exaggerated slowness in his mail pouch, Ruby suddenly felt awkward and self-conscious. There she was, standing in a sweaty t-shirt and running shorts, with a dog running circles around her feet, waiting for the mail like a kid on her birthday. She did not feel like she was cutting the image of a Huntress candidate. She serendipitously straightened a few strands of stray hair and stood a little taller.

"Oh! Here's something for you." He produced a thick envelope. "Let's see... Mistral Travel Exotica. Come enjoy the tastes and scenery of the beautiful Far East! Group rates available! Looks like you prequalify for the best weekend of your life."

Ruby sagged. "Oh. Well... ok, I guess." She reached out to take the envelope, but Mr Sloan pulled it back.

"Wait. I may have read that upside down." He squinted at the address, and tilted the envelope to better catch the light. "Signal Academy. Attention, Ruby Ro-"

A semblance enhanced hand tore the letter from his grasp before he had a chance to finish. Ruby stared at the long awaited message, hardly daring to breath.

"Good luck, Huntress." Marcus Sloan climbed back in his truck, and with a wave, departed to finish his route.

Ruby stood by the side of the road, her mind a whirlwind of excitement and doubt. Just because she got a reply didn't mean she'd been accepted. Without opening the letter, she slowly walked back to the house. She poured a glass of milk while Zwei opened a can of dogfood. She filled his water bowl. She sat on the living room floor and went through her stretching and flexibility routine. Twice. She did everything except open the letter. The letter was still sitting on the kitchen table when Tai-yang and his eldest daughter returned home from their trip to the nearby town.

"If you won't open it, I will." Yang sized up the situation in an instant and solved it in her usual direct manner.

"Don't!" Ruby crossed the room in a flash, and grabbed the envelope.

Her father and sister stood and looked at her, obviously waiting for the big reveal. With trembling fingers, she peeled the seal open and pulled out the contents. The next thing Tai knew, ninety-five pounds of squealing girl wrapped itself around him, as a letter bearing the bold stamp "Accepted" drifted to the floor.

* * *

"If I had the chance, if I could do it all over again, would I make the same choice? Yes, Yang, I would. A thousand times over."

* * *

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be... DELICIOUS!"

With a gleeful warcry, team RWBY charged forward into the culinary catastrophe that had been the Beacon cafeteria.

"Yang! Turkey!" Ruby cheered as her sister grabbed a pair of baked birds, and watched in amusement as Yang pummled Lie Ren with the greasy weapons.

Ruby had never been happier. She got to kill giant monsters with her beloved Crescent Rose, catch criminals, and generally do huntress-y things. Beacon was everything she had hoped for and more. Her team was awesome, her friends were great, and cookies were cheap. Life was good.

* * *

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Miss Rose. Those are your only two options, and you're running out of time to decide."

* * *

"Get away from her!" Ruby's voice didn't come out at all like she wanted it to. Instead of a warrior's firm command, she sounded like a scared girl, her voice raw with grief and anger. She clutched one of Penny's swords, dropping into a defensive stance. The body of one of her friends lay scattered across the area, but she die before she let a second join it. The monstrous nevermore shrieked, and dove towards her.

Ruby braced for the assault, but it never came. Weapon lockers fell from the sky like armoured hailstones, driving the unholy beast to the floor of Amity Coliseum. Students from the four academies poured into the arena, seizing their weapons and preparing to fight. The nevermore tried to rise with a howl of anger, only to be smashed down again by a seismic blow from Nora Valkyrie's hammer.

Pride swelled in Ruby's heart as she watched her comrades finish off the massive grimm. This was what being a Huntress was really about. It was standing in the gap when others were running. It was fighting despite the loss and the pain, it was being scared to death and standing up to the battle anyway. The monster might be coming to swallow them whole, but the warriors Remnant were going to meet it head-on, and break its teeth.

* * *

The beowulf fell back from Cresent Rose's lethal slash, its throat cut to the spine. Another joined it on the ground, ran through by an expert thrust of Wiess's rapier. The two girls had cut through wave after wave of grimm, but there was always more. Too many more. But they had to be strong, there wasn't a choice. Blake was down, incapacitated by with a cruel thrust from Adam's sword. Yang had lost an arm to the same blade. Ren and Nora were in no condition to fight, Juane was somewhere down in Vale. That left only the two of them, on a desperate quest to reach Beacon Tower and help Pyrrha in whatever hopeless battle she had thrown herself into.

"We gotta hurry!" Ruby took advantage of a few seconds of respite from the fighting to slam a fresh magazine into Crescent Rose.

Weiss gathered herself, and a blazing glyph burst into life on the wall of Beacon Tower. More followed, forming a path up to the top where Pyrrha was fighting for her life.

"You can do this." Weiss nodded to her leader as she held the glowing ladder in place.

"Just like old times," Ruby thought. Slinging her scythe behind her, she sprinted for the tower. A semblance jump catapulted her to the first glyph. Her feet caught the wall, and for a second she battled vertigo she caught her balance in the strange position. After only the briefest of pauses, she was off, pushing her speed to the limits as she raced to join the battle at the top.

She was too late.

Cinder's bow released with a sharp snap. A sickening thud and a gasp of pain from Pyrrha followed a split second later. As Ruby stared in shock and fear, her friend futilely clawed at the shaft protruding from her sternum, all the while desperately trying to suck air through her impaled windpipe.

"She dying! Oh gods, no! She's dying!" She had to move. She had to help Pyrrha, do something, anything! The logical part of her brain knew that the blow was mortal, and that her friend was beyond all aid. But she had to try.

She couldn't.

Ruby wanted to move, to order her legs to run and her arms fight, but all she could manage to do was watch in petrified horror as Cinder calmly approached the stricken girl, and placed one hand on her forehead. Pyrrha's arms fell slack as a strange orange light flashed through her body, then she was gone, nothing but glowing ashes floating in the wind.

A horrible pressure built in Ruby's head, a pounding, driving pain just behind her eyes. As Cinder turned to face her, panic lanced through Ruby.

"This witch killed Pyrrha! Now she's doing something to my head! Fight! I have to..."

Blinding silver light exploded around her. Indescribable pain burned in Ruby's head. She screamed, though her voice seemed to come from far away.

"No! I won't die here! Not... like... this!"

With a monumental effort, she advanced. One step, then another, she doggedly pressed forward into the center of the ruins of the Tower. The light around her intensified. She could hear more screaming. Her's? Cinder's? She didn't know. A hand clamped on her throat. Another covered her eyes, but the eldritch light did not diminish. The Witch had her. Raw fury and primal will to live gave Ruby strength and focus. She struck out at her enemy, and her blows knocked the hand free from her face. She heard a horrible shriek, and the hand on her throat fell away.

Ruby staggered back, physically spent. The light abruptly vanished, and she fell heavily to the floor, gasping for breath. Forcing herself to roll over, she faced Cinder and prepared for a desperate final defense. What she saw in front of her terrified her more than anything that she had encountered yet throughout that fateful night.

Cinder Fall lay dead on the floor ten feet away, burned almost beyond recognition. Her right arm was charred to the bone below the elbow. Two smoking holes punched through her chest just below her collarbone. Her entire body was covered in scorch marks, and her hair and clothes still smouldered. Long burn marks, like where somebody had methodically cut the floor with a dust torch, lead in a perfect trail from where her ruined body lay back to where Ruby had been standing. In that moment, Ruby understood. The blinding silver light had not come from Cinder, it had come from her. She had done this. She did not know how, but somehow, she had killed the most powerful woman she had ever faced with nothing but her eyes.

* * *

"I gotcha, kiddo. It's gonna be ok." Ruby staggered out of the ruins of Beacon Tower and into the arms of Qrow and Weiss. Strong hands lowered her gently to the ground.

"Her eyes... her face..." She heard Weiss's scared whisper through the fog of pain that enveloped her head.

"Flash burn." Qrow responded tersly. "Ruby, can you hear me?"

She nodded.

"Kiddo, I know it hurts, but you've got to tell me what happened. Where's Cinder Fall?"

Ruby swallowed hard. How could she explain this?

"Ruby, where's Pyrrha?" Weiss hovered over her.

"She's dead." Ruby choked off a sob. "Cinder killed her."

Qrow cursed. "And Cinder?"

"Dead. I... She... She tried to burn Pyrrha. She was so brave, Qrow. She fought back, hung on to Cinder as she died. The fire took them both."

"And the silver explosion? All the grimm ran like scared puppies when they saw that."

Wait, what? Oh well, she might as well stick with the story at this point. "It happened as they died. I don't know why. I guess that's when I got burned."

"Makes sense, all that power released," Qrow muttered to himself. "Come on. We need to get you medical attention. Weiss, take point. I'll carry Ruby. The grimm might be fleeing, but we can't be too careful."

* * *

Ruby stumbled down the ramp of the bullhead, eyes streaming and head pounding. Qrow and Weiss had put her on the medivac, then rushed to join every other able-bodied hunter and solider to aid in securing the perimeters of Vale and Beacon. With medical staff busy tending to more serious cases, walking wounded like Ruby were left to fend for themselves. She leaned against a fuel barrel at the edge of the platform. A black clad figure hurrying away caught her eye.

"Blake!" The figure paused briefly, then kept moving. "Blake! Is that you? Help me! Please!" Blake hesitated, then turned and jogged over to Ruby.

"Ruby! You need a burn kit, asap. Come on. I'll get you too a medical tent."

The older girl took her arm. "How's Yang? And didn't you get stabbed?"

"We'll both live. Yang's unconscious, but stable. Mine's just a flesh wound."

"Pyrrha's dead." Ruby was too exhausted to attempt an explanation.

Blake stiffened at the news. "I'm sorry, Ruby. She was a good friend."

"The best."

Neither girl said any thing else, both lost in their own private thoughts. Blake guided Ruby into an emergency aid station and sat her down on a cot. "I'll get you a nurse. Wait here."

Blake hurried away, and Ruby flopped backwards. The last three hours were miserable blur. Tears streamed from her eyes, and it wasn't just because her eyeballs burned and her eyelids felt like sandpaper. She wished with all her heart she could go back, undo something, be faster, be smarter, whatever it took. But she couldn't, and she knew it. Two of her best friends were dead, along with hundreds if not thousands of others. Just as bad, she, Ruby Rose, had killed a woman, and she wasn't even sure how she done it. Her miserable reflection was interrupted by the return of Blake, dragging a rabbit faunus man in a doctor's uniform.

"Here she is. She's been badly burnt." Blake practically shoved the doctor at Ruby, then turned away as the man bent over to examine the injured girl.

"Blake! Come here, please." Ruby's voice was small and tired. Blake turned, a look of frustration flashing across her face. "Please stay with me, Blake. Don't leave me alone." Ruby stretched out one hand towards Blake. She didn't mean to hold her friend back from doing her duty, but she couldn't lose anyone else tonight. She needed a familiar face with her now, holding her hand, letting her know that everything was going to be ok. Blake hesitated for a second time that night, then pulled a overturned bucket up beside the cot and sat down. She took Ruby's hand in hers as the doctor began rubbing a sweet-smelling salve across Ruby's blistered skin.

"Don't leave me, Blake. I need you here. You'll stay with me, right?"

Blake dipped her head, not meeting Ruby's eyes. "Of course, Ruby. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

The next week would forever go down in the history of Vale as one of the finest hours of the Kingdom. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, the soldiers and hunters of Vale had prevailed against the Grimm, the White Fang, and the rampaging corrupted war machines of Atlas. Many had died, but their sacrifice had saved thousands more. The kingdom and its invaluable Huntsman Training Academy would survive. Memorial Services were held for the fallen, and then everybody pitched in, beginning the arduous work of rebuilding the damage and setting the things back as much in normal order as was possible.

Team RWBY rebuilt as well. The morning after the battle, Weiss was horrified to find Blake, bandaged side and all, pushing a cart heaped with food into the aid station.

"Blake Belladonna! Stop that at once! I refuse to see you split your side open all because Ruby won't eat hospital rations!"

Blake paused. "Actually, most of this is for Nora. She sort of talked me into it. Told me I was to only one with the guts to steal food for her."

"Hmmpf," Weiss sniffed. "You may have guts, but I don't want to see them. Give me that." She took the cart from her teammate, and rolled it forward.

"I vote we turn this over to the nurses, and go check on Ruby and Yang." Weiss was obviously unconcerned with Nora's dietary demands.

Blake nodded. "She'd probably just send us for seconds anyway."

Weiss took a tray of breakfast rolls from the cart, and followed Blake. "Where's Ruby at?"

"Beside Yang. She went to her side as soon as the doctors had finished treating her burns, and hasn't left since."

"Is she going to be ok?" Weiss sounded uncharacteristically concerned.

"Doctor said a normal person would have permanent scarring, but her aura should take care of that in a week or two."

"And Yang?"

"A lot better than she could be. Adam's sword took her arm off so cleanly that no additional surgery was required to close the wound. They just stitched off the blood vessels, and bandaged it up. Here, they're just up ahead."

Blake pushed back a curtain, and the two girls entered a small, semi-private cubicle. Yang lay on her back, the stump of her right arm encased in bandages, and two IVs attached just below the shoulder. She looked like she was sleeping. Ruby sat beside her, one hand resting on her sister's shoulder. Her face was covered in a white burn mask, and she wore a pair of dark sunglasses. All in all, it gave her a strange, ghoulish appearance

"Ruby? We brought you breakfast."

Ruby appraised the food. "Better than the k-rations. Where did you get those?"

"Blake stole them," Weiss responded with a mix of condemnation and pride.

"Blake?" A faint whisper came from the bed. In an instant the rolls were forgotten.

"Yang! Yang! Can you hear me?" Ruby leaned over her sister.

"Blake... you're ok? You're... not dead?" Yang's voice was barely audible.

"Yes, Yang, I'm alive. And... and... I am so sorry, Yang." Blade burst into tears as she knelt beside the bed, laying her head across Yang's stomach and wrapping one arm around her. "This happened to you because you tried to save me. This is my fault."

"Shhh. Stop it, Blake. You're my friend, and my partner. I saved you, and you saved me. I don't blame you, and I'd do it again." Yang's voice was stronger now, and she had opened one eye a crack. "You're all here, we made it."

Ruby painfully smiled underneath her mask of ointment and bandages as her team gingerly group-hugged around Yang. Being a Huntress was harder than she had ever dreamed it was going to be, but she had her team, and her family, and with them at her side, she was ready for anything.

* * *

"And there's no way to track down the Maidens power?" Ironwood ground his teeth in frustration.

Qrow took a long pull from his omnipresent flask. "I already told you, James, several times, that if there was, we would have done it by now."

Headmistress Goodwitch rubbed her temples as if she was trying to clear a stubborn headache. "Please, both of you, stop it. Until Ozpin resurfaces, the best we can do is play defense. We know that Salem can't have received the power personally, but we can't rule out that another of her minions may have inherited it. Our agents are doing everything in their power monitor the situation as it unfolds."

"In that case," Ironwood said as he stood up, "I'll return to Atlas and handle our operations there."

"Yeah, you do that." Qrow clearly wasn't sorry to see the man go. "Meanwhile, I'll be stuck here playing babysitter to a bunch of kids."

Ironwood came as close to laughing as was possible for for the man. "I wish you luck, Professor Branwen."

* * *

Salem strode through her fortress, a miasma implacable fury swirling around her. None dared approach. Even Tyrian, with all of his insane devotion, kept his distance. Cinder had failed. At least she and her minions had had the decency to die trying. Worse than that, the vital Fall Maiden power was gone, vanished like the morning mist. Beacon remained intact, and the prized Relic safe in the hands of Ozpin's followers. It had not been a good week.

She threw open the door to Doctor Watts' laboratory. He turned slowly, and bowed discreetly. Of all her dark servants, he was by far the most intelligent. He maintained absolute control of his emotions, and was always two steps ahead. But the corners of his mustache twitched, and Salem felt a small amount of evil pleasure in knowing that the man was terrified.

Salem was in no mood to waste time. She swept forward until she stood mere feet in front of the scientist. "Watts, you recall discussing Project Chimera with me, do you not?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Good. Retrieve all notes and information you have pertaining to it, and prepare to immediately execute it alongside Project Black Tide."

Watts blinked, visibly caught off guard by the sudden demand. "But, my Queen. Implementing Project Chimera on a scale of that magnitude would require a tremendous amount of resources. Resources I simply do not have. Why, it would take a mountain of raw dust."

Salem seemed to grow a few inches taller as she leaned towards the petrified man. One long, bone-white finger touched him in the center of his forehead. "Doctor Watts. I did not ask for your assessment of the feasibility of my plan. I am giving you clear directions, and I want them followed. You are correct that we will require a mountain of dust, and fortunately for you, I know where we can find one."

* * *

Emerald Sustrai stretched luxuriously, letting the warm rays of the Vacuo sun bathe her back and legs. This was living. She owed Cinder for this. Emerald didn't have a full understanding of all that governed the transfer of the mysterious Maiden Power, but she understood enough to know that Cinder had bequeathed it to her as she died. Before, she could mind-trick one, maybe two people at a time. Now, with a little bit of practice, she could do whatever she wanted. She could make entire crowds see and do whatever she felt like. As soon as she realized this, she had gotten rid of that fool Mercury and gone her own way. Life had never been better. Now, as she relaxed on a white sand beach with a stolen Menagerie Gold in her hand, Emerald felt more contentment than she ever had in her short but tumultuous life. She missed Cinder, she really did. But if Cinder had taught her anything, it was how to survive and prosper in a difficult world. Now, with Cinder gone, Emerald had nothing left to hold her loyalty to Cinder's master. Forget about Salem, forget about maidens, and relics, and gods and Ozpin and all of it. Effective immediately, Emerald Sustrai was off the clock.

* * *

"Hiiiii-ya!"

"Oooof!"

"Winner, Yang Xiao-Long!"

The students assembled in the Nikos Memorial Combat Training Hall applauded. Ruby cheered louder than anyone else. Yang had made a full recovery from her injuries, and equipped with the latest automated prosthesis Atlas could provide, she was back in top fighting form. Combat Instructor Qrow Branwen took a long drink from a flask that he swore held only coffee, and motioned for silence.

"Ok, ok. Good fight, both of you. Watch the tape, and bring up a 500-word recap back to class tomorrow."

He waved Yang and her opponent out of the arena. It was generally suspected by the students of Beacon that Professor Branwen didn't read a word of the fight recaps that they submitted to him, but nobody could deny that being forced to critically analyze both their wins and losses had led the aspiring hunters to fight with more strategy and precision.

Qrow spun his random matchup wheel. Ruby was certain that he had this gadget made purely to save him from the effort of selecting fighters. The twin tumblers clicked to a halt, and Qrow checked the results. "Ruby Rose and Dominic Muller."

Ruby's heart lept with excitement. Her first match of the new school year! She was more than a little nervous as she picked up Crescent Rose, and stepped out of her seat.

"Good luck," Weiss whispered as she walked down the steps to the arena. Ruby sized up her opponent as he entered from the other side. Dominic Muller was a first-year, and like Weiss he was a transfer from Atlas. He fought with a bladed staff, and judging from the barrels on both ends, his weapon had some ranged capabilities. He nodded to Ruby as the two combatants squared off.

"Miss Rose. It's an honor to face you." Ruby colored slightly. She was a second-year now, and a veteran of the Battle of Beacon. First-years held her and students like her in awe.

Qrow leaned forward in his chair and waved his flask. "Alright, you both know the rules. Go on the buzzer."

Ruby slid one foot back and flipped Crescent Rose to melee mode. A long second past, and then a sharp beep signaled the start of the fight. Dominic took the initiative, closing the distance between them with an elegant leaping thrust. Ruby parried, and slashed low, forcing him back. She moved to close in, but a blast ice dust from the staff blocked her way. Okay, time to change strategy. Twirling Crescent Rose around, Ruby unleashed a volley shots. Her third round connected, knocking her opponent off-balance. Racing forward with her semblance, Ruby slid under an awkward blow and came up in Dominic's blind spot. He ducked, but not fast enough.

Yang whooped in excitement as Ruby sent her target skidding across the arena, his aura meter dropping by half. Ruby charged forward, only to be met with a wall of flaming dust. She threw up her scythe to shield her face, staggering back as she did. She hadn't felt heat like that since... No! Focus!

Crack! She never saw it coming. Swinging as he dashed though the fire, Dominic dealt a bone-jarring strike. Ruby backpedaled, doing her best to ward off the assault. Slashes and thrusts came at her in skillful combo attacks, one following the other so rapidly that even her enhanced speed was taxed to the limit. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she felt her aura being slowly chipped down. She was better than this! Fight! Ruby tried to go on the offensive, but her arms didn't seem to move as fast as her brain told them to. Her strikes were uncoordinated, too slow. Dominic didn't let up. A blow to the shin nearly knocked Ruby down. Her head buzzed, and a throbbing pain pounded behind her eyes as her heart raced.

As Dominic moved in to finish her off, the pain behind her eyes suddenly sharpened. With a terrifying jolt of realization, Ruby understood what was happening.

"NOOO!"

Crescent Rose clattered to the floor as Ruby screwed her eyes shut and threw her hands over her face. She dropped to her knees and clamped her head between her legs, gasping in pain. A horrible pressure inside her head fought to escape, and Ruby held it down with all of her will. Bile rose in her throat, and she spit bloody vomit from her mouth.

Ruby was vaguely aware of shouting and chaos around her. A powerful hand gripped her shoulder, and shook her. The pressure in her head subsided, but she didn't dare open her eyes. She could hear Yang screaming now.

"What did you do to her? Huh? What did you do? Let go of me Blake, I'll break his arms!"

Qrow's authoritative voice cut through the din. "Everybody sit down and shut up!" The noise subsided. "Ruby! Can you hear me?" Qrow's voice was thick with concern.

Ruby cautiously raised her head. "Yes," she whispered.

"What's wrong, kiddo? Let me look at your eyes." Qrow tried to move Ruby's left hand away from her face. Ruby jerked her head away from his gentle grasp.

"No! I mean, the light..." Ruby trailed off.

"Could be a dust reaction," Qrow muttered. "Weiss, help Ruby. Get her cleaned up, and then straight to Medical. Yang, Blake, you're excused from the remainder of combat class. Dominic, I'm gonna need the dust cartridges out of your staff. We've got to check and make sure that there's not some impurity in them that could cause reactions."

The crisis seemingly passed, everyone jumped into action. Blake pulled Yang away, the blond brawler still muttering threats and promises. Weiss gently helped Ruby to her feet. Ruby let her hands fall away from her face, but she kept her eyes tightly closed. Weiss didn't push the issue as she guided Ruby towards the locker room. As the two girls exited the arena, Ruby heard her uncle's voice behind her.

"Nobody ever told you all this was a safe or easy job, but you're all here today anyway. Accidents happen, and we're all mortal. It's good to keep that in mind. All right, who's next? I want volunteers this time."

* * *

"You can't keep your eyes shut forever, you know." Weiss wiped bloody spit from Ruby's chin and neck as she spoke. "What happened out there, Ruby?"

Ruby knew exactly what had happened, but she wasn't about to admit or explain anything. Her motives weren't entirely selfish, she told herself. After all, the truth about her eyes would lead to the truth about what happened to Cinder, and that would tarnish that heroic legacy of the sacrifice of Pyrrha Nikos. Best for everybody if no-one knew the truth, right? Right? Fortunately her uncle had given her an easy ready-made excuse.

"Dust reaction? Must have been something in his fire dust that made my eyes burn like that."

"Let me see them."

Ruby cautiously opened one eye. Weiss recoiled in horror. "Oh, dust! You are bleeding from your eyes! We have to get you help right now!"

Ruby clamped her eyes shut again as Weiss drug her out of the locker room. The two girls bumped head-on into Yang and Blake at the door. Yang took one look at the bloody tears that were beginning to seep from Ruby's eyes, and scooped her younger sister up in her arms. "Blake, run ahead as fast as you can and tell the nurses what happened. We'll be right behind you."

Blake turned and sprinted away. Yang ran after her as fast as she could manage while carrying Ruby. "Don't worried, sis, it's going to be okay. Just stay with me, everything's going to be okay."

Ruby didn't reply, but she knew, deep down inside, that everything was not okay.

* * *

"Miss Rose, can you hear me?" Nurse Valentina's voice felt good on Ruby's ears, soft, gentle, reassuring.

"Yes." She nodded slowly, taking care not to aggravate the splitting headache that had settled in after Yang had delivered her to the Infirmary.

"I have good news for you. The ocular hemorrhage you experienced was caused by ruptured capillaries in your eyelids. It appears simple high blood pressure was to blame for the bleeding. The damage is not severe, though you may experience pain while blinking for a few days."

"Ok... I guess."

"What caused such extreme blood pressure?" Weiss demanded from her seat beside Ruby's bed.

Valentina hesitated. "That... is a little more complex. Miss Rose, have you been exposed to radiation in the last two months?"

"Radiation?" Yang leaned closer.

"Yes. Miss Rose's blood work showed extremely high levels of residual radioactive dust. I'm sending samples over to Vale General for further analysis, but based on our understanding of how nerve energy works with aura and semblances, we think it's a safe bet to say that the strain placed on Ruby's aura in her sparring match may have caused a reaction with the dust that overcharged her nervous system. Basic bodily functions began to misfire, and well, you saw what happened."

"But where could have Ruby possibly been exposed to that level of radioactive dust?" Weiss wondered aloud. "No other student has shown similar effects."

"I was hoping that she would be able to tell us that, Miss Schnee."

Blake spoke up for the first time. "It probably happened the night of the Battle of Beacon. Ruby was the only survivor of the fight on top of the tower. Whatever weapons or abilities the pyromancer used to kill Pyrrha unleashed a massive burst of energy. Ruby would have been exposed at the very epicenter of it."

"Ok, enough of the medical jargon." Yang stood, interrupting the discussion. "How do we treat radiation dust exposure?"

"Don't worried, Miss Xiao-Long. Dust exposure is relatively common. I'm having a week's supply of dust neutralizer medicine sent to your dorm room. It will bind to the dust in your sister's body, nulify it, and allow it to be passed by her liver and kidneys."

While nurse Valentina continued speaking, giving her team detailed instructions on how the medicine should be used, Ruby relaxed back in her bed. The soothing salve under the bandage that wrapped her eyes felt good, but Ruby was afraid the relief would be only temporary. Blake was closer to the truth then she knew. Ruby was certain that her malady was caused by the events of that night, but it hadn't been a one-time exposure. Far from it. Whatever whatever had happened in her eyes that night had followed her, and had nearly taken control of her that morning. She had no choice. The dust medicine might to give her a temporary reprieve, but she had to learn to master this new power she had been cursed with, before it destroyed her, or somebody else.

* * *

"No... Ruby... why?"

The shattered body of Weiss Schnee went limp as she breathed out her last accusing question. Around her, the Beacon cafeteria burned. Ruby desperately looked left and right, but all she could see was death and destruction. All of it caused by her. Her eyes scorched lethal trails wherever they went. She couldn't shut it off, she couldn't even close her eyes. A charred corpse that might have been Blake lay near a door, as though cut down in the act of fleeing.

"Ruby!" Yang ran through the carnage towards her.

"No! Yang, get away from me!"

"Ruby, wait! I can help! Just hold- AHHHHH!"

The fire took her. Ruby watched in horror as her sister was engulfed by the spreading inferno.

"YAAAAAANG!"

"Ruby! Ruby! Wake up!" Ruby jerked upright in bed, clawing at the sleep mask she wore. Strong arms held her back.

"Ruby, please listen. It's just a nightmare. Breathe, Ruby. Just breathe."

The pain behind her eyes was intense, but it wasn't pain that made her shake in her sister's embrace. The pain behind her eyes left no doubt that her dream had been only seconds from reality. She could have killed them all.

"I'm sorry, Yang. I'm so sorry," She sobbed.

"Shhh. It's ok. You're ok now."

"Here's some tea," Weiss's voice came from the dark.

A warm mug pressed against her lips, and Ruby gratefully sipped the soothing brew.

"Are you ok?" Blake's voice was thick with concern.

"I think so," Ruby replied.

Yang gently stroked her hair as she laid her younger sister back down in bed. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Ruby. We're here for you."

"Thanks," Ruby whispered, trying to sound sleepy. "I'll be okay now."

The rest of Team RWBY returned to their bunks, and fell back asleep. Ruby lay under her quilt, not daring to risk sleeping again. Whatever had begun to happen inside of her was too dangerous to leave unattended. Uncertainty roiled her thoughts. She had backed herself into a corner with her lies and half-truths about previous events. Would anybody even believe her if she tried to explain the full truth now? Would they think she was crazy? Would she be asked to resign her position as team leader? Too much was at stake. She could do this. She was a Huntress after all. She would sort this out, and keep her problems from spreading to the people she cared about any more than they already had. It was for the best.

* * *

The next day was nothing short of torture for the young Huntress. She forced down her morning dose of dust detox medicine, donned a pair of dark sunglasses, and against the protests of her team, went to class. Her mind pounded with a headache her over-the-counter painkillers were powerless to mitigate. Even behind the thick glasses, sunlight made her eyes feel like they were full of sand. A gigantic tray of cookies delivered to her team at lunch time as a get-well gift/peace offering by Dominic Muller and the rest of Team ATDM barely looked appetizing to her. Ruby struggled through the afternoon. Never had the final bell taken longer to ring, or been more welcome when it finally sounded. The exhausted girl drug herself back to the dorm room, and collapsed face-first into her bed.

She could hear Weiss talking to Yang somewhere in the room. "Nurse Valentina said her symptoms, while more severe than normal, aren't unusual. But if the detox meds don't make a significant difference in the next couple of days, she'll have to be admitted to the hospital for more intense treatment."

Yang paced fretfully. "Is there anything we can do to make her more comfortable?"

"Do my homework for me?" Ruby moaned from the bed.

"You dolt," Weiss replied, trying her best to sound exasperated. "I suppose, just this once, I can do your homework for you. But I'll expect you to read over the material the instant you feel better."

"Sure, whatever you say, Weiss."

Ruby dozed fitfully until her team brought a plate of food from the cafeteria. Yang refused to leave her alone until she had choked down the entire meal, and chased it with another foul-smelling dose of detox meds. Ruby felt better after eating dinner. She took a hot shower, then tumbled back into her bunk, grateful that tomorrow was Saturday and there would be no classes.

* * *

"Pyrrha! Stay with me, Pyrrha!" Ruby desperately put pressure on the gaping wound in her friend's chest. Blood welled up around her fingers, and Pyrrha stared vacantly past her.

"No! No, you can't die! Please! Answer me!

"It's too late child, she's gone." She heard Cinder's voice behind her, calm and deadly. "You can't save her. You can't even save yourself."

Ruby spun, just in time to see one of the black swords slash down. The point drove into her face, in between her eyes and out the back of her skull. The witch pressed down on her, forcing her to the floor on top of the body of her friend.

"Shhh. Stop fighting, Ruby, just relax."

"NOOOOOO!"

"Yang! Help!" The voice was Blake's now. "I can't hold her down!"

Ruby fought desperately to escape the arms and the weight. More hands seized her. From somewhere, cold water splashed over the struggling mass of girls. "AHH! Not helping, Weiss!"

Consciousness snapped back into Ruby's mind with the force of an ursa blow. Her eyes and head still burned like Cinder's sword had ran them through, but the pain was internal, and all too familiar. She went limp in the grasp of her teammates.

"Shh. It's ok now." Yang's comforting voice came from the dark.

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered.

"Nothing to apologize for," Blake assured her. "You can sleep in my bed for the rest of the night if you want, since Weiss saw fit to try to drown us in yours."

"I was only trying to wake her up," Weiss huffed defensively.

"Whatever," Yang yawned. "Are you okay now, Ruby?"

"I think so. Thanks for helping me."

"It's what teammates do," Blake replied as she helped Ruby out of bed and up into into her bunk. "Don't worry about me, I spent a lot of time sleeping in worse places than the floor of the dorm."

"Thanks Blake. You guys are the best."

Yang's face popped up above the edge of Blake's bunk, her lilac eyes framed in a tousled mop of blond hair. "Ruby, if you need to talk..."

"I'm fine, Yang, really. I'm sure it's just the dust and the medicine making me have nightmares."

"Ok," Yang sounded unconvinced. "Good night, Ruby. Let me know if you need anything."

The dorm room went back to its normal sleepy silence. But for the second night in a row, Ruby didn't dare risk falling back asleep. The same feeling that had overwhelmed her atop Beacon Tower and threatened her in the sparring room had almost taken her again. If she was awake, she could manage it. But in her sleep, in her dreams, it managed her. How long until she slipped up, and one or more of her friends died in an explosion of unnatural silver energy? She couldn't keep having near misses like this. Drastic action was required.

* * *

"You're going into Vale? Why?" Yang sounded worried and sceptical.

"Some fresh air will do me good," Ruby threw on her backpack, doing her best to look and sound more energetic than she felt. "Besides, I've got to pick up some spare parts I ordered for Crescent Rose."

"Well then," Weiss retorted from her desk, "You should be in fine shape to go through your homework when you return."

"Looking forward to it!" Ruby practically skipped out the door, leaving her team suspiciously staring after her.

"Do you think the meds are making her loopy now?" Yang wondered aloud.

Blake yawned and rolled over in her bunk. "Don't worry. Seems like she's getting better to me. Going back to sleep now." And with that, Blake returned to her legendary Saturday morning cat nap.

Ruby did feel better. Her eyes didn't hurt this morning, and her headache was almost gone. The detox medicine was doing its job. As she watched the scenery flash by below the Bullhead she was riding from Beacon to Vale, Ruby dared to feel optimistic. Maybe everything would be ok after all. The Bullhead landed at the air taxi terminal, and Ruby disembarked with the rest of the passengers. Beacon students were a common sight in Vale, and nobody gave the brightly dressed girl with a dangerous weapon slung across her shoulder a second look. When she reached the street, Ruby set her course for downtown Vale.

A brisk fifteen minute walk brought her to the faunus business district. The buildings were decidedly shabbier in this part of town, and poorly dressed children ducked in and out of alleyways. Normally a sixteen-year-old year old human girl would have been foolish to walk through this area alone, but Ruby wasn't worried. She had Crescent Rose, and was confident that if worst came to worst she could outrun anybody or anything that posed a threat.

"Hey! Huntress!"

Ruby turned to see a pair of boys, several years younger than her, playing ball in an empty lot.

"Catch!"

The one with the ball wound up, and hurled it over Ruby's head. He was a bull faunus, and true to his heritage his arm was as powerful as Yang's. Always ready for a challenge, Ruby spun and raced to intercept the ball, rose petals swirling behind her.

She missed.

It took her a second to process it. Her fingers had closed well behind the ball, and as it bounced off the pavement in front of her, surprise and embarrassment flooded through her. She never missed. Bounding forward, see caught the rubber toy on the second bounce. Turning, she was mortified to see the second boy congratulating his friend on throwing a ball so far not even a huntress could catch it.

"Nice throw! Here!" Ruby threw the ball back, intentionally aiming wide of the two boys. The ball bounced in the dirt out of their reach, and as they ran to pursue it Ruby turned and hurried in the opposite direction.

"Just nerves," she told herself. "Don't let it distract you. Time to focus, this is important."

Around the corner, she found her destination. Dr. Bellagio, MD, a hand-painted sign proclaimed. Now that she stood in front of the clinic, Ruby had second thoughts. The place looked decidedly below modern medical standards. Weiss would have probably bled to death in the street before she would have gone inside. Gathering her courage, Ruby pushed open the front door and stepped into the waiting room. A half dozen men and women sat inside, and Ruby was acutely aware that she was the center of attention as she walked to the receptionist desk. A cat faunus woman peered over her computer at the new arrival.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Umm, no, but I need to see the doctor."

"I'm sorry, but the doctor sees patients by appointment only. I could put you down for next week sometime."

"Please, it's urgent. I must see Dr. Bellagio this morning."

"Look, unless you're seriously ill you will have to have an appointment just like everybody else." The woman went back to typing on her computer.

"I have money!" Ruby blurted, suprised by the desperate tinge in her voice. She dug into one of her pockets and waved a wad of Lien at the receptionist.

The woman looked at again, then winked and nodded knowingly. "Ahh. I understand. Have a seat, Dr. Bellagio will see you after we are done with the morning appointments."

Unsure of what the woman meant, but happy to be out of the spotlight, Ruby walked to the chair farthest into the corner of the room and sat down. For the next three hours she waited, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. A steady stream of patients worked their way through the office. Parents with sick children, a man with a broken wrist, two expectant mothers, all faunus. Ruby wondered if this was the only medical care most of them ever saw. Most of the adults ignored her, a few children stared, but nobody sat beside her. Finally, well after noon had come and gone, the waiting room was empty and the receptionist walked over to the door and turned the sign to "Closed".

"Right through there," she motioned Ruby through a closed door.

Summoning all the confidence she could, Ruby walked across the waiting room and through the door. She found herself in a narrow hall, with two doors on each side. As she hesitated, unsure which one to try first, one of them opened, and a short dog faunus stuck his head out.

"Ah, you must be the huntress that urgently needed to see me. Come inside."

Somewhat put at ease by his welcoming demeanor, Ruby followed the man into his examination room. She sat down in one of the chairs while he washed his hands at a sink.

"I'm sure this was a difficult decision for you, miss. I'll do my best to help you however I can."

"Uhh, thanks?"

He turned and pulled the other chair up so he was sitting facing Ruby. "Rest assured, Huntress. You have my fullest confidentiality. I'll have to run some preliminary tests today, but we can schedule the procedure for next week."

"Wait. Why do you think I'm here?" Ruby was confused, but she had a growing suspicion she knew where this was going.

"Unplanned pregnancy?" Dr. Bellagio looked deeply sympathetic. "Miss, I understand. You're not the first Beacon student that has come to me for help."

"No! I mean, not at all. That's absolutely not why I am here!" Ruby was equal parts embarrassed and horrified. She reflexively scooted as far back in her chair as she could.

Dr. Bellagio leaned back, his face reddening. "Oh. Oh, I see. I beg your forgiveness, Miss. Like I said, the only Beacon students I've ever seen were girls that needed, shall we say, discreet help. But enough about that. If I may ask, why would a human huntress candidate with access to Beacon's well-staffed infirmary and Vale General Hospital come to a faunus operated clinic in the bad part of town?"

"Well," Ruby began, recovering her composure, "Like you said, I need some discreet help." Ruby recounted a modified version of the truth to the listening doctor, explaining that her condition was temporary but that her medication was causing uncontrollable nightmares. All she really needed was a couple of weeks worth of sleeping pills, just enough to get her through her treatment and back to normal.

Dr. Bellagio sat back, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, I don't think you're telling me the whole truth. If you really were here looking for sleeping medication to combat the side effects of your prescription, there is no reason that the Beacon infirmary wouldn't supply you. That leaves only two options that I see. You're either trying to collect enough sleeping pills to kill yourself or somebody else, or you have an addiction and you are trying to get your fix."

"No!" Ruby protested forcefully. "First you think I'm here for an abortion, now you think I'm a suicidal druggie? What kind of doctor are you? I need help!"

The doctor stood. "I'm the kind of doctor that has seen every type of seamy behavior there is from both humans and faunus, and have pretty well lost my trust in people. I may run a clinic in the bad part of town, but I'll not be a pills dealer. If you have a legitimate medical condition, go to the Beacon infirmary or the hospital. Now I think it would be best if you leave."

Ruby stood, frustration and anger boiling in her. She wanted to argue, but she could tell from the determined look on Doctor Bellagio's face that protest would be futile. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of the examination room. She strode down the hall, through the waiting room, and out into the street.

Well, that had gone well. She was back at square one now, maybe even worse. She was terrified that if she went to the Beacon Infirmary that people would start asking questions, doing more tests, and the truth about her cursed eyes would come out. Vale General was even more out of the question. Ruby walked aimlessly up the street, mulling the problem over in her mind. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. It was a bad idea, worse than trying to buy sleeping pills from a low rent clinic. In fact, it was probably illegal. Ruby weighed the risks. She didn't have a choice. She was a danger to her friends, and a danger to herself. The ends justified means. Besides, her uncle did it, right?

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Ruby walked out of Borhman's Quality Imports with four bottles of unsweetened, non-GMO, organic vegetable juice. Her purchase had set her back more than fifty lien, but the overpriced drink looked and smelled so unappetizing that Ruby was sure her team wouldn't ask to try it. She turned into the alley beside the store, and stopped behind the dumpster. Taking the bottles of juice from her bag, she dumped two-thirds of the contents from each one into the trash. Putting the bottles back in her shopping bag, she returned to the street and walked back towards a liquor store she had passed earlier.

Ruby wasn't proud of what she was about to do, but desperation was a stronger motivator than pride. She also wasn't about to get thrown out of a second business for the day, so she had devised a plan. As she neared the Crow Bar, she scanned the sidewalks looking for a likely accomplice. She spotted one.

"And what do you want?" Her mark closed his copy of Fatal Attraction and placed the magazine face down on the bench as Ruby sat beside him. Ruby congratulated herself on her good fortune. A man who would read a magazine that specialized in Huntress smut on a public sidewalk was the perfect candidate.

Ruby pushed 75 lien into his hand. "I want you to go in there and buy me three bottles of Polar Fire. Keep the change."

The man laughed. "Come on. This is one of those hidden camera stings, right? I'm going to come out with the booze and you'll all be there to ambush me providing alcohol to minors?"

Ruby swore under her breath. Was nothing easy anymore? "Look, I'm in a tight spot here." Ruby improvised as she went. "I did something inappropriate, and an older student caught it on film. If I don't come up with three bottles of Polar Fire for him, he's going to send it to my sister. You've gotta help me. There's another 50 in it for you," she added, hoping greed would motivate the man.

His eyes lit up, and Ruby knew she had him. "How inappropriate was it?" he asked in a devious voice, sliding a hand towards Ruby's leg.

Ruby did her best to look both guilty and seductive at the same time, something she had very little experience in doing. "Very."

The man laughed. "Ahh, to be young and dumb again. Wait here girl, I got your back."

The man crossed the street and disappeared into the bar. Ruby sat on the bench, feeling like she needed a bath. Life was so much simpler when all your problems were eight-foot-tall monsters and you could solve them with the sharp edge of a scythe or a barrage of gunfire. Less than five minutes later, her new friend reappeared with a large paper bag. He crossed street again, and set the bag down beside Ruby.

"There. Hope this keeps you and your boyfriend out of trouble with the sister."

Ruby produced the promised fifty Lien bonus, but the man pushed it away. "Keep it. I'll call this my good deed for the day."

"Thanks," Ruby replied with sincere gratefulness. "You have no idea how much you've helped me."

Leaving the man and his magazine behind as quickly as possible, Ruby found a quiet spot behind a small bakery. When she reemerged onto the street, the Polar Fire bottles were gone, and her vegetable juice bottles were full again. She had had enough scheming or one day, and marched without pausing back to the Bullhead Taxi. A day in the sun had been good for her, she decided. She felt better now than she had all week, and now she had what she needed to beat the nightmares that had haunted her dreams. Ruby was positively happy as she exited the Bullhead, strolled through the Beacon grounds, and walked down the hallway to her dorm.

"Welcome back, Rubes," Yang greeted her as she let herself in and walked to the refrigerator. "Whacha got there?"

"Oh, just some unsweetened vegetable juice. I read that it's supposed to help the body detox faster."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "I'm legitimately worried about you, sis. You voluntarily drinking vegetables makes about as much sense as Nora passing on pancakes."

Weiss looked critically over her desk full of notes. Seriously, did that girl have nothing to do but study? "Where's the parts you said you were picking up for your scythe?"

Ruby gulped. She had legitimately needed to pick up a new firing pin for her beloved weapon. "I forgot?"

Weiss and Yang stared. "I'll call the doctor," Yang whispered loudly to Weiss.

Weiss's eyes narrowed. "Ruby Rose, I know when somebody is holding out on me, and you are holding out on me. Spill it, and spill it now."

Ruby waved a hand dismissively. "I've just had a lot on my mind these last few days. But it's getting better now. I'm fine, really. Now, about that homework."

Ruby slept like a baby that night.

* * *

Ruby blotted the cold water off of her face with a towel, then tossed it into the used laundry bin. Ahh... the cool liquid felt good on her head, which was throbbing again after her spar with Ren. She was glad she had the girl's locker room to herself, it gave her the few minutes to decompress before she met her team for lunch. Her first day back in combat class had not gone well. There was no shame in losing to Lie Ren, she told herself. He was a calm, surgical fighter with the speed to stay ahead of Ruby's slashing attacks. The shame was in the fact that when the buzzer sounded, his aura meter was still nearly full. He had dominated her from the beginning, and she knew it. She had been slow, uncoordinated, incapable of blocking his assaults or landing any meaningful hits of her own. Had the fight happened in first period, she might have blamed her nightly dose of Polar Fire, but it was nearly lunchtime and her mild hangover was gone. She wanted to blame the constant stress of bottling up her cursed new ability, but she had only been forced to concentrate on that towards the end of the fight as her aura began to burn out. No, there was no way around it. As Ruby stared at herself in the mirror, the ugly truth was impossible to ignore.

She was sick.

Her eyes had a dull bloodshot look, and her skin was even paler than normal. The school uniform she had changed back into fit a little looser around the waist, and her belt was tightened notch higher than normal. By all rights, she should not have been in a sparring class, but, armed with a clean bill of health, she had convinced Professor Branwen that she was combat ready.

Ah, yes. A clean bill of health. Nurse Valentina had been surprised when her one week blood test had come back showing no signs of dust contamination. Impressed with the effectiveness of the detox medication, the infirmary staff had positively celebrated as they declared Ruby fit for duty. If only they had known. The blood that was so miraculously toxin-free had actually been "borrowed" from Yang Xiao-Long in the dead of night by the stealthy hand of her younger sister. Taking advantage of Yang's legendarily deep slumber, Ruby had used a stolen sample collection kit to draw a vial of blood. A lightning fast swap conducted under the very nose of Nurse Valentina had ensured that the test would show Ruby was fit and healthy. Ruby was ashamed of what she done, but she was sure Yang would understand. After all, this was just another challenge she had to get through on her road to becoming a Huntress.

But Ruby wasn't stupid, and as she looked at herself in the locker room mirror she could see that, whatever the blood test said, something was wrong with her. She couldn't excel in Beacon until her body was back in top fighting form, and she knew it. She needed help, but she had nobody to turn to.

"When faced with a mountain you can't climb over, look for a path around." An old saying repeated by the country folk of Patch came to mind.

"Now then, who could possibly help me, or know somebody that would, all the while maintaining secrecy?"

And the just like that, the answer was obvious.

* * *

"Junior's Club and Lounge, how may I direct your call?"

* * *

"You want to take a leave of absence?" Headmistress Goodwitch peered over her glasses at the young huntress. Ruby's plan suddenly seemed far less like genius and far more like suicide. Summoning up every scrap of courage she had, Ruby nodded.

"Just three days, ma'am. At the end of the week."

"Why?"

Ruby had prepared this part carefully. "Ever since my training accident, I haven't been able to sleep." A little bit of truth made the lie stronger. "Nurse Valentina says that the dust that made me sick is gone, but its effect on my nervous system will take longer to heal. I just need a few days, relax, recharge, and I'll be good as new! Hiya!" Ruby threw in a few quick hand chop motions, remembering the first time she had met the intimidating huntress.

Glynda Goodwitch leaned back, stroking her chin. Ruby wished she could sink into the floor. A few agonizing seconds dragged by.

"Ok, I'll sign off on it."

Ruby blinked. "You will?"

"Of course. I'm stern and demanding, not heartless. In fact, I almost put you on a week of mandatory rest after I heard about your accident, but your uncle convinced me not to. The last six months have been hard on us all, and there's no shame in knowing your limits." Headmistress Goodwitch signed Ruby's excused absence request, and slid it across the table to her. "You will of course, be expected to makeup any coursework you miss, but your team can help you with that. I don't foresee any trouble there."

"No ma'am. Thank you." Ruby took her precious excuse form, and practically skipped from the office.

* * *

And that was how Ruby Rose ended up in the line of passengers disembarking from Remnant Air Flight 2115 at the Atlas International Air Terminal. Her team had been amazingly supportive when she announced her plans to visit the Frostfall Healing Retreat & Spa in the mountains of Atlas for a long weekend. All of them could tell Ruby needed a break, and they all helped in their own ways. Weiss made sure her travel plans were in order. Yang packed clothes for her. Blake slipped a few books into her suitcase when nobody was looking, whispering to Ruby that they would help pass the time on the airship.

Blake had been right about that.

Ruby breezed through customs, the security agents paying little attention to a Huntress candidate. She strolled through the clean, well lit terminal, taking her time and looking at everything. She walked right past the Frostfall Retreat group, which appeared to be mostly a collection of rich, middle-aged Vale socialites. Ruby kept up her casual pace until a man in a sharp suit and red sunglasses joined her.

"It's a good day for a trip," he commented.

"Only the best will do." Ruby gave the counter-sign.

Instantly the man was all business. "Come on, car's outside. Doctor Andronicus will be waiting."

* * *

Coco Adel let out a long breath as she collapsed Fire Sale back into handbag form. "Dust, Fox. You ever see anything like it?"

"Don't be cruel, Coco," Velvet admonished her team leader as she joined the pair.

Coco playfully cuffed the rabbit faunus's shoulder. "Fox is a big boy, he can take it."

Fox Alistair ignored both girls as he knelt over the monster he and Coco had felled. It looked like a beowulf, but was taller and thicker than all but the most powerful Alphas. It's bone mask was deep red, with black streaks running across. Bulging red veins were visible below the skin, an unnatural glow slowly fading away inside them. The thing's eyes still radiated light, even as black smoke began to drift up from the body.

Velvet snapped a couple of pictures to document the strange creature as the grimm crumbled to dust and vaporized.

Fox stood. "It was faster and more aggressive than your average grimm. This could be a serious development. We need to alert Goodwitch of this. Where's Yats?" The blind hunter turned to face Velvet.

"He went up to the top of that hill," she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder. "Going to see what's in the valley beyond."

As if on cue, heavy footfalls could be heard approaching on the run through the brush that surrounded them. Yatsuhashi burst through a clump of plum bushes, and skidded to a halt in front of the rest of the team. Coco could tell instantly that something was terribly wrong. The green-armored giant, normally the model of unflappable calm, looked as close to panicked as she had ever seen.

"Coco, we must leave this place immediately. I can see into the next valley, and the grimm are coming. Thousands of them, Coco. It's looks like a black flood is rolling down the far hills. We have to get out of here while we still can, and warn everybody between here and Vale."

Coco wasted no time questioning the report. "Ok, we're 5 miles from our Bullhead. We can be there in half an hour, and get a radio message out. The farms and settlements nearby will need to evacuate immediately. Move it CVFY, every second we waste is a second that people don't have to prepare."

* * *

Ruby relaxed on the gizka fur couch in Dr. Andronicus's private lounge. The soothing strains of the Mantel Girls' Chorus filtered softly through the room from speakers hidden behind tropical plants. She lazily sipped the smoothie that an attendant had brought her while she watched fish swim in a floor-to-ceiling aquarium. Forget the spa trip, this waiting room was all the relaxation she needed.

She owed Junior for this, she really did. Her guess that he would be able to put her in contact with an aura specialist who was willing to do off the record work had been spot-on. It had cost her more than half of her life savings to by the airship ticket and pay Dr. Andronicus's upfront fee, but if he could help her, she would have gladly sacrificed every last lien she had.

In a strange way, it had been a liberating experience. Alone with the doctor in his advanced examination room, she had finally told the whole truth how about her eyes, her headaches, the nightmares, all of it. He had listened carefully, interjecting with rapid fire questions in a way that reminded her of Dr. Oobleck. When she was done, he had set to work. He had drawn enough blood samples to feed a swarm of vampire crabs. After that was done, he carefully clipped hair samples of different lengths from both sides of Ruby's head. Then he started in with the machines. For four solid hours, Ruby was subjected to scan after scan, with wires and pads clipped all over her body. Finally, Dr. Andronicus had declared that he had done enough for one day, and with no further comments dismissed Ruby into the care of an orderly.

Ruby spent the night in a well furnished apartment attached to the clinic. The doctor had giving her a single sleeping tablet, declaring it to be a better alternative than her crude but effective self-medication. In the morning, breakfast was delivered to her room, along with the message that Dr. Andronicus would see her as soon as she was ready. She ate hurriedly, then returned to the clinic.

"It has to be a good thing," Ruby mused aloud, "Him wanting to see me so soon. If it was anything serious, it would have taken him longer to diagnose."

A huge eel emerged from under a rock and eyed the visitor. Ruby stared back. She was still staring at the creature when a side door opened with a thump.

"Eeep! Err, I mean, Hi!" Ruby recovered her composure as rapidly as possible.

"This way, Miss." A soft-spoken nurse motioned for her to follow. Ruby left the luxurious lounge and followed the woman down a hall. They stopped in front of a huge ornate wood door. "The doctor's private study. He's waiting for you inside."

Ruby cautiously tried the silver door knob. It turned, and she pushed the heavy door open.

"Ah, Miss Rose. Please, come in. Miss Rose? Is everything alright?"

"Penny..." Ruby stared at a portrait of a smiling ginger-haired girl on the wall behind the doctor's desk.

"You knew Penny?" Dr. Andronicus leaned forward.

"I did." Ruby sat heavily in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk. "I'm honored to say that she counted me as a friend. I was there when she died. I was too slow to save her. I'm sorry. But it was an accident!" Ruby continued quickly. "They tricked Pyrrha! She didn't mean too..."

"Miss Rose," Dr. Andronicus interrupted with a wave of his hand. "I am aware of the curcumstances surroundind Penny's death, and I hold no animosity towards Miss Nikos. She was a victim too." He rubbed his forehead. "I almost wish you hadn't told me this. I was as close to a father as Penny had. We had a special bond. She was my pride and joy, my greatest and crowning achievement. Oh, we'll build another android, but it won't be the same. There will never be another Penny. And now, here you are. Destiny, if there is such a thing, has played a cruel hand to both of us."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Miss Rose, I am a scientist. It is my job to go wherever the evidence leads me. Believe me, I wish it had led me somewhere else. I didn't sleep a wink last night, checking and rechecking all of the data I collected during my examination of you. But I found no error, and my conclusions are sound."

"Well, what did you find? What's happening to me?"

"Well, to put it bluntly, you're dying."

"What?" Ruby's voice was a strangled gasp.

"I'd give anything to not have to tell you this Ruby, believe me. But you're a huntress, and you know better than most that sometimes you pick your battles, and sometimes your battles pick you."

He poured a glass of water from a carved silver pitcher, and slid it across his desk to the stunned girl.

"Yes, Miss Rose, you are a rare case. Your condition has been observed only a handful of times in humans, and has never been fully studied. To give you the simple explanation, you have a extraordinarily rare mutation that causes your body to produce biologically synthesized dust. It seems to have settled in your eyes, although it can affect any part of the body. When your nervous system is overcharged through extreme stress or aura depletion, your cells secrete highly unstable dust residue. In sufficient quantities, it could react with your aura to produce intense bursts of energy, like you saw at the end of the Battle of Beacon. Frankly, it's amazing you didn't die right there. The problem now is that the mutated tissue never fully stops producing this dust. You've kicked open the floodgates, so to speak, and even when you feel like nothing is happening your base nervous system activity is enough to continuously poison you. The headaches you reported after strenuous activity are the after effects of higher doses of the dust being pumped into your body. If we don't act now, you will die of radiation poisoning within a year, even with a continuous dosage of dust detox medicine. The body simply can't handle that kind of internal toxicity."

"How do we stop it?"

"You're not going to like what I'm about to say."

Ruby swallowed nervously. "I can take it."

Doctor Andronicus leaned forward across his desk and looked Ruby square in the eye. "I can't stop your eyes from producing radioactive dust any more than I can stop your muscles from producing lactic acid or your gallbladder from producing bile. Maybe someday, when genetics and mutations are more fully understood, cases like yours could be treated less... invasively. As it stands now, the only way to keep your eyes from slowly poisoning the rest of your body is to surgically remove them. I'm sorry."

Ruby flinched like somebody had dealt her a physical blow. All in an instant, she saw everything she had fought to achieve come crashing down around her ears. A few seconds passed, dragging on for what seemed like an eternity. "I can't be a Huntress if I'm blind," she finally whispered, more to herself than to the doctor.

"But you would live to see your 18th birthday. I am so sorry, Ruby. I wish I could give you some kind of solution, but there's just nothing else medical science can do."

"You I said I'll live about a year?" Ruby's voice was mechanical.

"That is my best scientific estimate. Of course, you should be aware that the effects of radiation poisoning are progressive. You've already begun to see the loss of fine motor skills, judging from your reports of sluggish reactions in combat. Your memory will be the next thing to see serious impact. Motor skills and mental functions will progressively degrade as the damage to your nervous system increases. I'll spare you the graphic details, but I will warn you that you will spend your last days in a hospital on a ventilator. Even with all the medications we can pump into you, you've probably got only three to four months left in which your body will be capable of sustaining the huntress trainee lifestyle."

"That's three months longer than I'll have if you cut my eyes out," Ruby shot back, impotent anger at her fate swelling inside of her. "This is an impossible decision! You're asking me to choose between a slow degenerative death and life as a cripple! Why don't you just break my neck right here and get it over with?"

"Miss Rose," Dr. Andronicus replied sternly, "You and I both know you don't mean that. I understand this is a terrible shock to you, and I will do everything in my power to make whatever you decide as comfortable as possible for you. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Miss Rose. Those are your only two options, and you're running out of time to decide."

* * *

Author's note-

Sorry, no traumatic death scene in this one. So it turns out that I am pretty bad at writing one shots. There will be a second part to Ruby's story. I could have uploaded it all in one chapter, but it would have taken me another month to get it ready and it would have been 25,000 words long. I don't know, maybe I just need to work on editing and pacing. There's honestly way more setup and background fluff in this story than I planned on there being, but as I did it I couldn't come up with a good way to condense it without it feeling like rushed narration. I'd love to hear feedback or suggestions from any of you who write about this. Anyway, drop a review and check back in a few weeks to find out how our unfortunate huntress handles her unexpected dilemma. Thanks for reading!

One more thing. I'll give a shoutout to anybody who can tell me the significance of Ruby's Remnant Air flight number without Googling it.


	5. Dreams pt2

Before Their Time Chapter 5: Dreams- Part 2

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learned, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.

* * *

Ruby stared out the window of the airship as it settled into it's docking cradle at the Vale Air Terminal. "It's funny," she reflected to herself, "How much more carefully a person watches what goes on in the world around them when time is running short. It's too bad everybody can't live like they only have a few months left. We would all appreciate so much more, and fight about so much less."

"Thank you for choosing to fly with Remnant Air. We hope you have enjoyed your trip. Please, retrieve your carry-on luggage from the overhead bins and exit to the front in a calm and orderly manner."

Ruby stood, and waited her turn to retrieve her bags. She found her backpack, and gingerly shrugged it over her shoulders. Inside was the invaluable supply of medication that Dr. Andronicus had given her. He had left her with a six-month supply of the strongest anti-dust medication Atleisian medical technology could provide, anti-nausea pills, immune boosters, and sleep aids. He had been reluctant to provide her with sleeping pills, afraid she may use them to overdose and escape her suffering. It was only when Ruby pointed out that she had access to any number of lethal devices, and that the alternative to sleeping aids was more Polar Fire, that he had relented and given her carefully measured doses.

Dr. Andronicus had begged her to have surgery immediately, to have her eyes removed and save her life. Ruby was unwavering. She had been born to be a huntress, she had lived to be a huntress, and she would die being a huntress. Life as a blind civilian, no matter how comfortable her family would make it, would have been a living death for the energetic girl. True to his word, the doctor had given her everything he could to make her last months as livable as possible. When they had parted ways at the airport, he had pressed a thick envelope into her hands. "This is a complete record of all my tests, and an explanation of what the results mean. You'll need it when the time comes that you are forced to seek professional medical help in Vale. I've also returned my entire upfront fee. I can't keep it in good conscience. I am sorry we met under these circumstances, Miss Rose, but I am glad that I was able to help a friend of Penny's. May fate guide your steps."

Dr. Andronicus was a good man, Ruby decided. As she wrote out her last will and testament on the flight home, she included a sizable donation to his research.

She saw her team waiting for her as she descended the gangway. Ruby had expected them to be there, and put on her best smile for them.

"Hey guys!" She waved as she entered the terminal. Yang held up a huge sign with "Welcome Back RUBY!" emblazoned across it. Blake and Weiss both looked mortified by the exuberant blonde's public display of affection, but Ruby could tell they were both happy to see her in their own ways.

"It's great to see you guys again!" Ruby tried to hug all three girls at once.

"Did you have a good trip?" Yang asked as she tucked her sign under one arm and took Ruby's suitcase.

"Oh, it was just what I needed." Ruby chattered happily about her weekend of hot tub soaking and back massages as the four girls retrieved the rest of her luggage and made their way out of the air terminal. She had done enough research on the Frostfall Healing Retreat & Spa to spin a convincing story of rest and relaxation, of breathing clean mountain air and watching the sun set beyond snow-capped peaks.

Ruby felt dirty for lying to her team. She didn't want to imagine their expressions of shock and betrayal when, in a few months, the inevitable truth would come out. But she knew what would happen if she told the truth now. She would never see the inside of a training room again. Best case scenario, she would spend her last good months on Patch. More likely, it would be straight to the hospital where she would be poked and prodded and experimented on, living as a human lab rat while her final days slipped away. With her medications carefully disguised as vitamins and supplements, she now had a chance to spend a few short months doing what she loved with the people she loved.

Team RWBY caught a bullhead back to Beacon, and Ruby went to bed early. Classes started again in the morning, and she was going to savor every moment here like it was the last one she would ever get.

* * *

"Understood. Continue execution of contingency plan Dragnet. I'm going to issue a priority alert to to the Vale Council. Expect reinforcements to your position within 24 hours. Goodwitch out."

Glynda Goodwitch placed the long range communications receiver back in its cradle, and turned to face Professors Oobleck and Branwen. "Team CVFY's report was just the tip of the iceberg. All of our borderlands scouting units are reporting grimm swarms entering from the south in apocalyptic numbers. I think it's safe to say that Salem has initiated the next phase of her war."

Oobleck nodded. "It seems that what she was unable to accomplish with subterfuge and craft she is now going to try with overwhelming force. What surprises me is that these megapacks aren't attacking outlying settlements or farms. As long as we make no effort to stop them, they simply keep marching forward."

"Yeah, and that should worry you more than anything else about this situation." Qrow drained half his flask in one swallow. "When was the last time you saw five thousand grimm turn down an opportunity to overrun a village?" He stepped to a large map, and began tracing lines from the locations of known grimm swarms. "These grimm are all converging, and when they do, we're going to be facing more grimm in one place than has ever been seen in the recorded history of Remnant."

"Perhaps we should attempts to destroy the packs before they come together?" Oobleck suggested.

"Not practical." Goodwitch replied. "If we committed enough forces to be sure of victory against even half of the packs, it would spread our forces dangerously thin in Vale. This may be Salem's plan. Pull us away, spread us out, then strike."

Bartholomew Oobleck studied the map. "They're going to combine before they reach the mountains south of Vale. It would be impossible for them to cross the mountains in a coherent swarm. The entire pack would be forced to come through Guilliman Pass. We could give battle there with everything we've got, and use the terrain to negate the overwhelming numerical advantage the grimm will have."

Glynda and Qrow nodded. "Assuming that the packs keep traveling, and keep ignoring the settlements in the south, they should hit Guilliman Pass in about a week. I'll submit a recommendation to the council immediately." Headmistress Goodwitch slid behind her desk and activated her computer. "I'll call a general assembly this afternoon and inform the students of the situation. It seems we are at war."

* * *

Ruby could practically feel Weiss Schnee's critical gaze on the back of her head. "It's not so bad," Ruby told herself, "I won, didn't I?" Her first spar after her trip had been a sloppy affair. Matched against Sky Lark, Ruby had resorted to imprecise hack-and-slash tactics, while making little attempt to dodge his incoming fire. The result had been a brutal, messy fight, but her longer weapon made the difference, and when the buzzer sounded her aura was still in the yellow. The Ruby Rose that proudly led her team in the Vytal Festival would have been horrified, but the Ruby of today was far less discerning. A win was a win. If Weiss thought the fight was bad, Ruby shuddered to think what lay in store when her perfectionist partner discovered the C+ Ruby had received on Port's pop quiz.

"Your memory will be the next thing to see serious impact." Dr. Andronicus's voice echoed in her head. Whatever. Her grades weren't important anymore. What mattered now was squeezing in as much quality time with her team as possible before her illness overtook her.

Playing in Ruby's favor was the fact that nobody was paying much attention to classes of any kind these days. Headmistress Goodwitch's public announcement of the approaching grimm horde and the planned confrontation at the south end of Guilliman Pass had the entire school talking of nothing else. The Vale Defense Force was marshalling fully fifty percent of its strength for the battle. Hunters from across Sanus were deploying in force to spearhead the effort. It was going to be glorious, and Ruby would have given anything to be there. Sadly, the decision had been made to hold Beacon's students in reserve.

"Reserve!" Ruby snorted to herself. "I didn't become a huntress to be reserved."

"HELLO TEAM RWBY!" The enthusiastic greeting of Nora Valkyrie broke into her thoughts with its usual irresistible force. "Jaune, Ren, I are going to Vale to inspect the troops! You in?"

"Sure!" Ruby agreed happily.

"Why not?" Blake shrugged.

"Actually..." Weiss never got to finish disagreeing. Ruby took one arm, Nora took the other, and before she knew it, the heiress was off for an afternoon of mandatory relaxation.

* * *

The tomb-like silence the that hung thick in the halls of Beacon Academy closely matched the mood in the office atop Beacon Tower. It had been a mistake, Headmistress Goodwitch reflected, to allow the students to watch live feed from the battle. The battle. What they had seen happened that morning made a mockery of the word. More accurately, it had been a slaughter. The grimm had struck their lines in numbers far exceeding even the most pessimistic estimations. The hunters and soldiers had thrown back the first assault, but a new swarm had been close behind it, and the second wave held a new and terrifying enemy. Hundreds of the "red grimm" as they were now being called had thrown themselves against the forces of Vale. CVFY's report about the ferocious new variant of grimm should have been a warning, but nobody could have expected numbers like this.

The lines had broken. Grimm poured in as the defenders desperately retreated to a fallback position at the north end of the pass. The disaster had ended when the mountainside above Guilliman Pass had been blasted with dust explosives, bringing thousands of tons of rock down on the advancing grimm, sacrificing the defender's rearguard and blocking the pass. Then, as if content with the mornings work, the horde had stopped. Why the enormous mob of grimm had chosen to pause, congregated at the south end of the pass, was anybody's guess. The upshot was that the surviving defenders now had a few hours of respite to prepare a second desperate line of defense. Nobody had any Illusions about the outcome of tomorrow's confrontation. Now, they were only fighting to buy time for the citizens of Vale to evacuate. Goodwitch and Qrow were hastily preparing for the abandonment of Beacon. It was hopeless to think that the students of Beacon would be able to hold the school against such a force, and the valuables hidden at the school could not be allowed to fall into the hands of Salem and her minions.

The door to the office opened with a bang, and Professor Oobleck dashed into the room waving a thick folder, and talking even faster than usual. Qrow calmly seized the man by his shirt collars and sat him down.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Bart. Now, if it's important, please start over from the beginning."

Oobleck slid the folder across the desk to Glynda Goodwitch. "Project Thunderbolt! It's the answer! Surely you see, Headmistress. Project Thunderbolt would give us the means to counteract the overwhelming numbers of the grimm! We can throw them back, destroy them!"

Qrow scoffed. "You've been spending too much time in the lab. Did you see what happened out there today? Professionals, good men, and they didn't stand a chance!"

Goodwitch took the folder, and looked at it thoughtfully. "You may have a point, Professor. However, it's far too late to implement it."

Qrow turned in annoyance. "Come on, every second we waste is valuable. What are you two even talking about?"

Oobleck gestured excitedly. "Project Thunderbolt was a brain child of mine from years ago. I was able to prove that if a normal dust carbine was loaded with the proper mix of unrefined dust, instead of refined projectile charges, its effect became exponentially stronger. We abandoned the project, not only because of the dangerous nature of unrefined dust, but because it proved prohibitively expensive to manufacture a dust carbine capable of firing more than a few hundred shots of pure unrefined dust. Normal weapons simply burned out. But if we had a supply of spare weapons, all we would have to do is move enough unrefined dust to our forces, and the guns of the average infantryman would be capable of mowing down any number of these new grimm!"

"So all we have to do is move crates of unstable explosives and racks of spare weapons into the middle of a war zone, and victory is assured! Perfect! We should have thought of that weeks ago!" Qrow waved a hand dismissively. "Let's get back to work."

"Wait." Glynda Goodwitch looked Professor Oobleck square in the eye. "You are certain this would work?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Beacon does have an arsenal of weapons. We have our bullheads. We could move the supplies. The students could supply the manpower necessary to load and unload. All we need is the dust."

"You can't seriously be considering trying this!" Qrow almost shouted. "You would send the our entire student population to almost certain death on the slim chance this science project will save us? And even if this would work, where do you intend to get that much unrefined dust on short notice? Why, it would take a mountain of dust to do what you're proposing to do."

Oobleck smiled. "You're right, it would. And fortunately for us all, I know where to find one."

* * *

The evening sun hung low in the west, a blood-red orb slowly sinking into darkness. "Just like all of us," Ruby thought as she stared out the window of the bullhead. "We rise, we burn, we bring light where we can, then we slowly set and die. But the sun rises again. It always comes back, and so will we." Ruby set her jaw in determination as her transport approached Vale. The sun might be setting for her, but she, Ruby Rose, Huntress, was going to burn as long and as bright as she possibly could.

Headmistress Goodwitch had called the student body together and laid the situation before them in frank terms. The plan that she proposed was desperate, borderline suicidal, and they all knew it. East of Guilliman Pass was a dust mine at a place called Grayrock Mountain. Like every other installation nearby, it had been closed up and evacuated before the approaching grimm overran the area. Inside the mine shafts, hardened containers sat full of unrefined dust, awaiting transport to refineries. At daybreak, second-year teams would lead incursions into the shafts, backed up by Vale Defense Force personnel. First-years would assist in loading the dust, then everybody would evacuate by bullhead and join the forces at the north end of Guilliman Pass. There, they would find out if Oobleck's Project Thunderbolt would indeed save them all, or merely provide a grand light show for the apocalypse.

Ruby knew, in her deteriorating state, she had no chance of keeping up. She would die. Worse, she would endanger the mission. She wished with all her heart that she could spend the last night before Beacon mobilized in a Death-Or-Glory operation with her team, reliving the memories they had made together. But she sacrificed that pleasure, just as she had sacrificed so many other things in the last six months. She had fought her entire life to realize the dream of being a huntress, and she wouldn't let an evening of selfish enjoyment ruin her last, best chance to see that dream a reality. So she volunteered to accompany a supply run to Vale. She had one last desperate card to play. It was insane, and totally illegal, but at this point, crossing one more line didn't seem to make a difference. All she had left was her duty, and an indomitable will to see whatever was coming through to the end.

* * *

"Looks like the last of my security finally joined the stampede out of town." Junior Xiong sighed in resignation as he dropped a bundle of papers into a humming shredder and faced the unexpected visitor that stood in his office. "What do you want this time?"

Ruby pushed the door shut behind her.

"Drugs."

Junior blinked. "I'm insulted. I'm insulted that you think that I sell drugs, and even more insulted that you think I'd sell drugs to a minor. If Vale wasn't in the middle of the end of the world, I'd say you were trying to give that blonde felon you call your sister an excuse to trash my business again."

The distance between them closed faster than Junior could register what was happening. Ruby might not have had the weight and strength of Yang, but the velocity with which her shoulder met Junior's sternum more than made up for her size. He tripped backwards, fell over his paper shredder, and went down in an awkward heap with Ruby straddling his chest. She grabbed his collar with one hand and leaned close.

"Listen. I am on a tight time frame and I have absolutely nothing left to lose. I need what we both know you are selling. Money doesn't mean much to me anymore, I'll pay you what it's worth."

Junior laughed humorlessly. "I'm guessing this means that little vacation I booked you to Atlas didn't go well? Now get off me, and we can do some business."

Ruby stepped clear of the man as he stood up. Junior crossed his office and took a large portrait of himself down off the wall. He spun the dial of an ornate safe that sat behind it, and the door swung noiselessly open. Stacks of Lien, a pair of gold pistols, and several dozen small bottles filled the interior. "What do you want?"

"I need pure hash oil to calm shaky nerves." Ruby held out one hand, and the fingers twitched with a small but noticeable tremor. Junior rummaged in the safe as Ruby continued her shopping list. "I need angel dust to block pain. I need some race to heighten mental focus. Oh, and some adrenaline would be useful too if you have it."

Junior turned and sized her up. "Dust, girl. What are you trying to do to yourself?"

"I'm trying to wring one last fight out of a body that's betrayed me so the friends I'm betraying right now can remember me as a huntress, and not a pathetic cripple."

Junior studied her for a second, and then shoved four bottles across his desk towards her. "Five hundred Lien. I'll give you a volume discount on it."

Ruby slapped a wad of bills on the desk without counting it and picked up the bottles. She dropped them into one of her corset's ammo pouches as Junior palmed the money. She was halfway to the office store when Junior's voice stopped her.

"Huntress. I don't meet a lot of good people in my line of work. Whatever you're heading into, I honestly wish you the very best. Good luck out there."

Ruby didn't reply. She left the office, and walked through the deserted Club. Her scroll told her she still had forty-five minutes before the bullhead returned to Beacon. That was enough time for one last stop.

* * *

The massive front door of All Saints Cathedral closed behind Ruby with an echoing boom. She paused for a second with her hand on the vestibule door, debating whether or not she should leave Crescent Rose in the coat room. She decided against it. Having her beloved weapon slung across her back was one of the few things left that gave her a feeling of security.

The cathedral sanctuary was empty, with dim light from dust candles in the chandeliers casting a flickering glow across the magnificent frescoes that decorated the interior of the building. Colorful mosaics of light fell in long patterns where the last remnants of the evening sun shone through the stained glass windows. Looking right and left, Ruby cautiously walked down the aisle towards the front of the church. Her footfalls, gentle as they were, seemed as loud as thunderclaps in the heavy silence the huge room.

"Good evening, child." The voice startled Ruby, and she paused where she was at as an old man in a priest's robe emerge from a side room.

"Uh, hello."

"What brings you here this evening? I am afraid our services were cancelled so that we did not impede any from making good their evacuation."

"Then why are you still here?" Ruby asked as she slowly resumed her walk down the aisle.

The priest sized her up, taking in her combat outfit and elaborate weapon with a glance. "I imagine the same reason you are. It's my duty to be here, and come what may, I'm not leaving." He eased himself into an ornately carved chair, and motioned for Ruby to sit in the front row of pews.

The old man leaned forward and studied his visitor. "You never answered my question. What brings you here this evening? I don't recognize you as one of our regular attendees."

"I'm going to die tomorrow." Ruby delivered the information in a quiet, matter-of-fact voice.

The priest blinked. "That's quite a thing to hear from one as young as yourself, even in the profession you've obviously chosen. Please, tell me everything. And call me Father Ansell."

Finally able to un-burden herself, Ruby poured out her miserable story to the kind ear of Father Ansell. She told about the Battle of Beacon, about how her lies had cornered her as her condition worsened, about the less than ethical things she had done behind her team's back. Finally, with the whole sorry truth in the open, she threw up her hands, and in a voice choked with emotion, she finished by saying, "All I ever wanted was to be a Huntress. All I ever wanted was to fight alongside my friends. Was that too much to ask?" She buried her face in both hands and cried.

The kindly old priest stood, and crossed to where she sat. Taking his place beside her on the pew, he gently laid one arm across her shoulders.

"My child, I have been young, and now I am old, and I have seen a great many things befall those who did not deserve them, both good and bad. Some men who are nothing but a blight on those around them live and die of old age. Some are taken from us in the flower of their youth, the light and joy that they gave gone from this world like a breath of wind. I cannot pretend to know why you have been chosen to walk this path, but I can tell you this. Everything that has ever happened in this world, or will ever happen in this world, happens for a reason. The threads of our destinies are woven together in a rich and growing tapestry of which we see only the smallest part. I implore you, my daughter, do not give into despair. Surely one possessed of such an indomitable will to survive was placed in your position for a reason. Every one of us has a part to play, and yours is not finished yet. I cannot condone everything you have done, but I can see that your heart was pure in what you did. You acted out of a honest desire to do what you thought was best for those you love."

Ruby sniffed, and nodded. "It would kill Yang to have to watch me slowly die and not be able to help. I just hope those I care about can forgive me for keeping this from them."

"Are you afraid to die, Ruby?" The question caught the young huntress off guard. She looked down at her boots, shame suddenly flooding her mind. Unable to form words, she only managed to nod.

Father Ansell looked at her with understanding in his face and deep compassion in his eyes. "One so young as you should never have to face this. It is nothing to be ashamed of to be afraid of the end. We are all human. You may face the prospect of imminent death boldly, but in your heart, it is only natural to feel fear."

"It's not that," Ruby protested. "My mother was a huntress, and she died a hero in battle. What would she think of me now, if she saw me like this? She would be so disappointed in what I have done."

"My child, I think that if your mother could, she would take you in her arms, and tell you that she understood, and that she will be waiting for you on the other side."

"Will she be? Really?" Ruby gazed earnestly into the priest's eyes.

"All of us will live again beyond this mortal realm. What kind of afterlife we receive depends upon the life we have lead. Those who have fought to do good will be rewarded with peace, and reunification with those they love. Those who did evil, but died repentant, will be given the opportunity to atone in the afterlife. The unrepentant face nothing but the just reward for what they have committed here. I have no doubt that for those like your mother, and yourself, who have so selflessly given of your own lives for the defense of those who could not defend themselves, nothing awaits but peace and happiness. If the worst comes, and you do not live to see another sunset, you may rest assured that the next sunrise you behold will show you the face of your mother, and lead you into the happiness you deserve."

"Thank you, Father Ansell." Ruby checked the time. Her ride would be departing soon. "Before I go, would you... pray for me?"

"I would be honoured to. Kneel, my daughter." Ruby got to her knees as the priest stood, and placed one hand upon her head. Raising the other, he began to recite the Warriors Prayer, and the Incantation For The Traveler. Ruby wasn't sure what to do, so she folded both hands in front of her like she had seen Yatsuhashi do, and imagined what it would be like to see her mother again. When Father Ansell had finished, he offered the reaper a hand, and helped her to her feet.

"Go, my child. Be strong, and may the Weaver of Fates guide your path."

Ruby turned, and walked back up the darkened hallway of the cathedral. She let herself out through the massive doors, and into the night air of Vale. She set her jaw as she jogged toward the Bullhead landing pads. She wasn't dead yet. She was Ruby Rose, Huntress of Beacon, and she had a war to fight.

* * *

"This is as far as I go, ladies. Good luck down there!" the pilot of bullhead Vulture 7 shouted over the roar of engines. Ruby stepped to the open side door and looked out. The soft light of breaking dawn fell over the beginning of the assault. All across the Grayrock Mountain dust mine, hunter teams were deploying from bullheads. Fifty yards away, CRDL fastroped from Vulture 4 while Vulture 12 hovered protectively over head, door gunners ready to engage any grimm that threatened the landing.

Cape streaming out behind her in the backwash from the engines, Ruby grabbed the thick nylon rope that hung by the door and tossed it free. Dramatically leaping from bullheads looked good in the movies, but in real life it was a good way to break an ankle. She looked over her shoulder, and nodded to her team and the squad of Vale Defense Force soldiers behind them. "Let's do it!" She stepped out the door, gripping the rope in her hands and catching it between her feet. A few seconds later, she stood on the crushed rock of the road leading to mine shaft four. The smell of jet exhaust and the sharp odor of raw dust mixed with the bitter taste of hash oil in her mouth. This was it. Come what may, she was ready.

Cresent Rose slid into her hands as the rest of her team joined her on the ground. Vulture 7 pealed away, joining the other Bullheads circling overhead. Oobleck's voice crackled over their earpieces. "Hunter teams. Move quickly to secure the mine entrances. Once the Landing zone is secure, we'll bring in the transports and the pickup teams. Good luck."

"Watch your back in there, RWBY!" Cardin Winchester shouted from where he and his team had assembled. He rapped his mace against his plate armor. "Let's give 'em one for Beacon!"

Ruby waved back, then lead her force towards the mouth of mine shaft four at a jog. The mouth of the mine yawned ahead, a dark and foreboding hole in the face of the rock. Blake, with her enhanced faunus vision, saw them first. "Contact! Just inside the door."

A beowolf alpha slunk into the open, the dawn light glistening off long bone spines. Half a dozen smaller grimm appeared behind it. The VDF soldiers raised their dust carbines, but Ruby waved them off. "Hold fire. Save your ammo for inside the mine. We can handle this. Checkmate! Ramrod!"

Blake and Weiss split to either side while Yang ran straight towards the alpha, Ruby close at her heels. The alpha roared a challenge, and came to meet Yang. It pounced toward her, but at the last second Yang shot sideways with a blast from her gauntlets. The beowulf's claws found only empty air, and it landed awkwardly. Ruby was on it in the blink of an eye, and cut its left leg from under it with an overhand swing. As the monster fell back, Yang re-entered the fight, caving in its face with a catastrophic uppercut. As the alpha fell, Blake and Weiss struck the remaining grimm from both sides, bringing a whirlwind of death to the pack. In less time than it would take Nora to eat a plate of pancakes, not a single beowolf remained standing.

"Nice work, huntresses." Sergeant O'Connor, the ranking VDF soldier, stepped over the alpha. "If today keeps going like that this is going to be a milk run."

Yang smacked her gauntlets against each other. "Oh, we're just getting warmed up."

Ruby said nothing she walked past the dead grimm and into the mine. It was going to get a lot worse, and they all knew it. The Strike Team paused inside the door, as the soldiers clicked on weapons lights and Ruby let her eyes adjust to the semi-darkness of the loading zone. The room they were in was perhaps 60 feet wide and 100 feet long, with a large open door at the far end leading downward to the area of the mine where the dust was being extracted. More than a dozen heavy metal boxes sat against one wall, and more were stacked beside the heavy equipment used to load and transport the unrefined dust.

"There's the dust," O'Connor observed. "Looks deserted. Let's push forward and secure the upper level."

RWBY and the soldiers fanned out across loading zone, advancing cautiously through the abandoned industrial equipment.

"Oobleck to all advance teams. Team OBTR reports high concentration of grimm lower in mine shaft one. The lower levels of this mine are connected, so be prepared for heavy resistance coming from below."

"Why would hundreds of grimm inhabit the lower levels of this mine?" Yang wondered out loud. "There would have been no workers to chase down into the caves by the time they got here."

"Our pre-op briefing said that these caves have openings all over in the mountains," one of the soldiers volunteered. "Grimm spilling over from the main horde must have sensed that people had been here once, and wandered in from the undeveloped entrances."

Yang nodded, unconvinced. But she had no time to dwell on how the grimm had gotten where they were, because at that moment the hulking shape of an ursa filled the door at the far end of the chamber.

"Open fire!" The VDF lit up the semi-darkness as the ursa charged forward with a roar. The concentrated fire of eight dust carbines proved too much, and the huge beast crashed face-first to the concrete. "Now that's what I call a good old-fashioned turkey shoot! Move up!" O'Connor and two of his men swept through the second door, their lights stabbing into the darkness beyond. Weiss conjured an illumination glyph ahead, and a soft white light bathed the next room.

"Oh. Crap."

"CONTACT!"

The soldiers began firing wildly. Blake snapped Gambol's Shroud into its pistol form and joined in. Ruby dashed forward to join the battle, and as she did she heard a strange, unsettling skittering noise. Sliding to a halt just inside the heavy sliding door, Ruby took in the situation with a glance. They were standing at the top of a tall, circular room almost a hundred feet across. A roadway broad enough for a truck spiraled down the walls, cut straight into the rock. Two heavy freight elevators stood in the center of the shaft, a gangway connecting them to the road just in front of where Ruby stood. And up the road, and the walls, and the structure of the elevator, swarmed dozens and dozens of juvenile deathstalkers.

"Hurricane formation!" Ruby shouted to her team. Moving as one, the four huntresses fell into a defensive box in front of the VDF squad. "We'll hold them back, you keep up the fire!"

Ruby swung her weapon to track one of the grimm. Crack! She missed. Crack! She missed again. Cursing under her breath, she tried to steady her hands and hit the frustratingly agile beasts. Her third shot struck in between the mandibles of a deathstalker, the spray of rock from the high caliber slug knocking it from the wall and sending it hurtling into the depths. Her fingers buzzed as she slammed a fresh magazine into the gun. The twitch in her hands was back. Pausing for a second, she spoke over her earpiece.

"RWBY to Oobleck. Large concentration of grimm encountered in shaft four. We're holding our ground, but I recommend the dust extraction teams begin immediately."

"Copy that." Oobleck acknowledged her report, talking even faster than usual. "Extraction teams have landed, and should be in your mine within the minute."

"Ruby! We got more company!" Yang's warning pulled her back to the situation at hand. "Beowolves coming up the road!"

"Huntress!" O'Connor shouted as he tossed a grenade into the never ending tide of deathstalkers. "At the bottom of the elevator shaft there should be a blast door that would seal us off from the caves below. We can hold back the deathstalkers if you and your team can reach the door and close it."

"On it! Blake, Weiss! Start one of the elevators going down. Yang and I will hold the road. Get back as soon as you can, and we'll push to the bottom!"

As her teammates sprung into action, Ruby hurriedly fished out her vials of hash oil and race. She ripped off the caps, and ran her tongue over the rims of both. Too much hash, and she risked falling into a sleepy stupor. Too much race, and she risked emotional instability. But in the right mix... She felt the rush of the drugs in her body, like cold fire in her viens. Yes, that was more like it. Her grip tightened on her scythe, and she ran to join Yang at the head of the road.

"Here they come..." Yang started walking forward as the lead beowolf charged up the last turn. She accelerated to a jog as it closed the distance. "For Vale!" Yang ducked a swipe and returned a powerful counterpunch. Ruby whisked past her, confident her sister could handle a single grimm. She shot of the next beowolf in the chest, then cut down a third. Yang was back at her side now, and the two sisters pressed the attack. Step by step, they drove back the on-rushing horde, leaving a trail of evaporating corpses in their wake.

"Over head!" Blake appeared from above, swinging off the elevator structure and landing on the road beside them.

"Nice of you to drop by," Yang remarked as she threw a beowulf over the edge of the road. "What did you do with Weiss?"

Blake nodded to the moving elevator as she joined the fight. One of the massive lifts was grinding a downwards, and the Atlesian girl stood atop it, blasting the deathstalkers trying to climb up with walls of fire and ice.

"Risky," Ruby commented. "We'd better get to the bottom before her or she'll be overwhelmed."

Yang nodded, and picked up the pace, running to meet each new enemy with an almost berserk intensity. Her hair was glowing now, and her blows grew stronger as the fight drug on. Blake dashed in and out, a slippery shadow, cutting at the grimm's legs and stabbing them in their backs. Ruby tried to keep up. Her breath was getting short, far sooner than it would have a few months before. She hadn't taken any hits yet, so her aura hadn't begun to threaten her eyes. But that was just a matter of time, and she knew it.

The three huntresses kept pace with the elevator as it descended, driving forward down the spiraling road. Ruby spared a second to glance over the railing. They were still about a full turn above the bottom the elevator shaft, but from her angle she had a clear view of the wide doorway leading to the rest of the mine.

"Blake! Yang! Keep pushing forward, I can cover the door from here. I'll shoot down grimm as they try to come up the road." Ruby smiled to herself as she snapped her weapon into rifle form. This way, she could help her team and catch her breath. She had struggled to hit the small, fast deathstalkers, but the lumbering beowolves presented no such difficulty. Crescent Rose was soon pounding out a lethal rhythm of clattering shell cases and falling bodies. With Ruby thinnng out the grimm as they charged into the room, Blake and Yang picked up the pace. From her perch on the descending freight elevator, Weiss waved to Ruby.

"Race you to the bottom!"

Ruby snapped off a couple more shots, then turned, and ran after Yang and Blake. Her earpiece crackled as she sprinted along the road. "Sgt. O'Connor to RWBY. We've burned through the deathstalkers, and are holding position. The extraction teams are in the mine, and are moving the first of the containers now."

"Understood," Ruby replied. "We are nearly to the blast door, keep us updated on the situation at the surface."

As she turned the final corner and emerged at the bottom of the shaft, Ruby realized that the sounds of combat had stopped. She found the rest of her team standing in front of the freight elevator, surrounded by disintegrating grimm carcasses. No further enemies appeared.

Yang threw up her hands. "Well, that was anti-climactic. Looks like we scared them off."

Weiss walked purposefully forward. "Let's not waste the opportunity. The controls for the door are right there, let's seal this place off and get back to the surface."

"Hold on." Blake stood with a hand on her hip, looking thoughtfully into the yawning darkness beyond the blast door. "Aren't you just a bit curious why so many grimm were down here? Maybe we should take a look, see if there's something we need to know about."

Yang snickered. "You know what they say about cats and curiosity."

Blake glared.

Ruby looked at her team, and then through the door. "It can't hurt. We won't go very far, just a quick look."

The four girls cautiously passed through the enormous steel doorway, and stopped a few feet inside. Total darkness shrouded the cavern beyond, but Ruby could tell from the feel of the air that they were standing at the mouth of a huge room. Faint, ethereal flickering shone from the walls of the cave where veins of dust ore had been exposed.

"Movement." Blake hissed. "Up ahead. It's too dark for me to see it clearly though."

"I can fix that." Yang stepped to a flood light array parked beside the door, and flipped the power switch.

Ruby choked in horror.

Dozens, hundreds, of grimm lined the walls of the massive cavern. They stood, still as rock, with their clawed paws buried into the dust ore. Pulsating power ran up their arms, and into their bodies. Every available bit of ore was being absorbed by these monsters. Behind each grimm stood a line of others, patiently waiting their turn to feed. Even more grimm stood around a massive pile of a harvested ore crystals, sucking up the bountiful power. A steady stream of monsters marched deeper into the cave, but these had been transformed. They were twice the size of those filing in, with blood red bone faces, long spines, and arms and legs pulsing with fell energy. They had become Red Grimm.

In a horrible instant, Ruby understood. This was why the horde had paused at Guilliman Pass. They had been marching down the undeveloped entrances to the mine, and returning as unstoppable killing machines. And this was only one cave at the bottom of one mineshaft. There had to be thousands upon thousands of them by now. The grimm that they had fought through to get this far had been nothing but chaff, a distraction. In another 24 hours, there would be a large enough army of these new grimm to sweep Vale from the face of Remnant like it never even existed.

Yang was the first to recover. She snapped Ember Celica up, preparing to fire. In a flash of white, Weiss grabbed her arm. "Hold your fire, you dolt. A stray shot with this much dust ore around could turn this entire mountain into a volcano!"

Blake slapped the power switch and killed the flood lights. "We have to go. We have to go right now!"

Team RWBY retreated through the door, and Weiss threw the switch to close the heavy steel panels. Even as the doors began to grind shut, an unsettling roar came from deep within the caves.

"Back to the elevator!" Ruby ordered. Nobody needed to be told twice. As they ran, Ruby keyed her earpiece to the emergency frequency.

"Ruby Rose to Professor Oobleck. Come in Professor!"

"Oobleck receiving. What's wrong?"

Ruby gasped out their discovery as the elevator doors slid shut, and the cage started up.

"This is a serious development. I'm ordering a general withdraw from the lower levels. The extraction teams are ahead of schedule, the entire operation will be wheels-up in 10 minutes. Stand by for further orders. Oobleck out."

BOOM!

"Now what?" Yang looked back down the shaft.

BOOM!

"Oh no."

The blast door at the bottom of the shaft shook under the impact of a massive blow. As the girls watched, a crack opened in between the panels. A huge paw was driven through. Another followed. With a grinding crunch, one of the panels was wrenched aside. An enormous red ursa, larger than any alpha could ever hope to be, squeezed itself through the ruined door.

"Now that's a grimm." Yang reloaded Ember Celica with a flourish.

"The bigger they come..." Ruby stuck the barrel of her weapon through the bars of the cage, and fired. The ursa snorted, and swatted at the impact point like a person trying to shoo away a pesky fly. "Well, that's not good."

"Hit it with everything!" Yang lead by example, sending a flurry of shots down at the monstrous beast. The ursa snarled in pain, and lumbered onto the spiral road in an attempt to get out of the hail of fire. It vanished under the rock overhang, and the huntresses could hear its pounding footfalls as it started up the road.

"Sgt. O'Connor!" Ruby barked. "What's the status of the dust extraction?"

"Nearly done. We have four containers left. Landing zone is still secure, and multiple bullheads are already away."

"Copy that. Redirect every available soldier to the top of the elevator shaft. We are about to have company, and lots of it."

"What happened to the blast door?"

"No time to explain. Just to do it! Rose out!"

"It's gaining on us!" Weiss warned. "And it's got friends!"

A collection of smaller grimm ran from the shattered door and followed the massive ursa up the road. "Why don't all of the enhanced grimm from the cave just pour up the road and the crush us?" Blake wondered out loud.

"That's the worst part of it," Ruby replied with a shiver. "They're smart enough to not just charge into battle. They've sent just enough to contain us, and are saving the bulk of the force for the final assault at the pass. They're not just bigger and stronger, they are thinking."

"Then it's time to show them that they didn't send nearly enough!" Yang's eyes glowed as she dropped into a combat stance. The ursa came into view, barreling up the road behind them.

A fusillade of shots met it head-on. It was tough, but everything has a breaking point. One of its front legs gave out, and it stumbled. With a frightening howl, if it reared onto its back legs and accelerated in a burst of rage driven speed. Too late, Ruby saw what was about to happen.

"Get away from the edge!"

The beast turned and jumped off the side of the road, displaying far more agility than anything its size should have had. All four girls flung themselves back as a massive set of claws dug into the side of the cage and the elevator tipped crazily towards the new weight. With its free front leg, the ursa began to batter at the elevator, trying to rip the wall open.

"Knock it loose before it drags us down!"

Ruby jumped forward, pushing her weapon through the edge of the cage and firing point blank into the ursa's face. It shrieked in pain, and it's fetid breath almost made Ruby vomit. Another tremendous blow shook the elevator, and Ruby stumbled forward against the wall. As she caught herself against the cage, a horrible Crack! resounded from the supports. Stressed beyond their strength, the bolts holding off the wall of the elevator cage gave out.

The ursa and the metal it clung to fell away, and Ruby toppled after it. With a desperate effort, she twisted and grabbed for the floor of the elevator as she slid out. But even as her fingers brushed across the metal and closed on nothing but air, Ruby knew it was futile. She was falling, spinning head over heels. She heard Yang scream and heard the grimm roar.

"So this is how it's going to be, huh? Oh well, I had a good run." Ruby saw the floor rushing up to meet her, then oblivion descended with a bone-jarring snap.

* * *

"RUUUUUUBY!" Yang stared at the empty space where her sister had stood a second before. "YOU MONSTERS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! RAAAGH!" Her hair exploded with such intensity that Blake and Weiss stepped back to avoid being burnt. Eyes flaring like the July sun, Yang crossed the elevator in one long step and hurled herself out through the gap after her sister.

Far below, an ursa heaved itself painfully to its feet and snorted in disgust. Prey! There was warm, fresh prey close by. It swung its head find the source of the delightful smell. Had it looked up, it would have seen a golden comet of shrieking vengence descending on it. It didn't look up. It still wasn't looking up when a pair of gauntleted fists drove the top of its skull down into its neck.

Yang flipped off the falling body of the red ursa and landed at the base of the road. The minor grimm that had been following it up had turned, and were coming back down the road, drawn by her overflow of negative emotion.

"Yes! Come on! Who wants to die first?" Yang fell upon the grimm in a frenzy of slaughter. Muscular limbs were ripped free. Necks snapped like dried kindling. Blood sprayed across the road and the rock wall and the ceiling above them. Then, suddenly, there was nothing left to kill.

"Ruby!" Battle lust gone in an instant, Yang turned and looked frantically around. She saw Weiss and Blake kneeling over her sister. Yang ran to them.

"She's still breathing," Weiss reported. "But she's unconscious and badly hurt."

Yang could see blood running freely from her sister's nose, and an ugly cut on her left arm. Another roar from deeper the cave reminded the girls of the urgency of the situation.

"We have to go." Blake knocked over a nearby tool rack, and wrenched the wide crossbar free. "We can use this as a stretcher."

Working quickly and carefully, Yang and Weiss set Ruby on the board. Yang threw Crescent Rose over her shoulder, and took one end of the makeshift stretcher. Blake took the other. Moving at a rapid walk, they started up the road.

Yang settled into a whispered rhythm as her footfalls echoed in the dark. "Don't die. Don't die. Don't die."

"She'll make it," Wiess said, as much for her benefit as Yang's.

"If any of us make it. Look!" Blake nodded to the bottom of the shaft. Grimm were silently filing through the broken door. They stopped at the bottom of the road in an ominous, dark mass, like a battalion of soldiers awaiting the order to charge.

"Run!" Yang and Blake broke into a jog.

"They're coming up!" Weiss warned. "This ought to buy us some time." She turned, and blasted a wall of ice from floor to ceiling across the road behind them. "I've got enough ice dust for only three or four more of those. Hurry!"

The girls were two thirds of the way to the top when they heard the first ice barrier break. Nobody said anything, there was nothing to say. They only picked up pace. By the time the trio reached the last turn of the road, the sound of pounding feet and snarling could be heard below.

"Huntresses! Hug the wall!" Sgt. O'Connor waved and shouted from the gangway of the ruined elevator.

No one asked for an explanation, and they stepped over and ran alongside edge of the road.

"Fire!"

Dust rockets streaked out from the VDF position, slamming the wall above the road. Tons of rock cascaded down, blocking the path behind the girls. Coughing from the clouds of smoke and dust, RWBY emerged at the top of the road. A line of soldiers stood before them.

"Good to see you're with us. Medic up!"

* * *

Pain.

Pain everywhere.

Her head and eyes pounded mercilessly. Every breath was agony. Definitely some broken ribs in there somewhere.

"I'm not dead." Ruby realized. She could tell her aura was completely spent. To her suprise, her eyes hurt, but the dangerous pressure she so greatly feared hadn't materialized. Her mind swam as she tried to process. Dr. Andronicus had theorized that the combination of extreme stress and low aura was the cause of the dangerous outbursts of radiation. Ruby concluded that the fall had a broken her aura so quickly and so completely that her body hadn't had time to overcharge her cursed eyes.

Oh well. Live to die another day. Ruby forced her eyes open and tried to make sense of where she was. Shapes came into focus. A man was kneeling over her.

"...coming too! Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Ruby croaked. "Where are we?"

"Top of the mine. Your team pulled you out, and..."

A horrible shriek cut the medic off. With a powerful flapping, a giant red griffin exploded from the shaft, and dove into the VDF. Bodies flew in all directions as the monster lashed out. Ruby tried to stand, even as more grimm clambered up the wrecked elevator and joined the fight. She stumbled to one knee as Yang ran over to her. She pushed Crescent Rose into Ruby's hands.

"Stay back, shoot if you can!"

Yang threw herself back into the fight, but the grimm were coming too fast.

"Pull back! Everyone out!" O'Connor shouted over the chaos of battle.

Yang reappeared at her side. "Sit!"

"What?"

"Do it!"

Yang shoved Ruby to a sitting position, and before Ruby understood fully what was happening, Yang grabbed her cape and started dragging her back into the loading dock of the mine.

"Cover us!"

Ruby brought her weapon to bear as Yang pulled her across the concrete.

Crack! The recoil sent fresh waves of pain through her, but a beowolf fell. Crack! Another joined it. Ruby worked the bolt and gritted her teeth, preparing for another jolt of pain. She had to keep fighting. Her team still needed her, giving up wasn't an option. That didn't make the third shot hurt any less.

Her fingers fumbled with the bolt. Her vision was going hazy. She saw Blake tumble awkwardly across the floor, knocked twenty feet by an ursa's blow. Weiss fought in front of the VDF, keeping the grimm back as the soldiers poured in fire.

Ruby felt disgusted, worthless. Here she was, team leader, and she was reduced to dead weight, unable to even rack the bolt of her weapon. "Some huntress you turned out to be," she thought bitterly. "I should have died at the bottom of the shaft. Now I'm just slowing down my team. People are going to die because of me."

Sounds warped in and out as Ruby fought to maintain consciousness. She could hear Yang screaming into the radio as she fired Ember Celica one-handed. "Vulture 7! Vulture7! This is Yang Xiao Long! I need immediate medivac at the mouth of shaft four! We are overrun, I repeat, we are overrun! This operation zone is lost!"

"Vulture 7 to shaft four rear gaurd. Rally at mine entrance for hot extraction. We'll get you out of there."

"Huntress! Let my medic take her!" Sgt. O'Connor gestured at Ruby. "We need you in the fight!"

Yang hesitated, but both girls knew what the right choice was. "You'll be ok, you hear? You hear me, Ruby?"

"Yang... promise me... whatever happens, whatever it takes, you finish this, ok?"

"I promise, Ruby. I'll see you on the other side!" Yang charged back into the fray as the VDF medic pulled Ruby out of the fight.

Ruby's vision blurred as the medic pulled her back through the loading dock. She noted that the dust crates were gone. Good. Mission accomplished. Satisfaction filled her as she hugged her weapon against her chest. They had done it. The defenders of Vale would have a fighting chance at repelling the grimm hordes.

Sunlight fell across her face as she was pulled from the mine. Ruby slowly turned her head and looked across the mine yard. The extraction teams and the precious dust were gone, and the strike teams were falling back for evacuation. The war machine of Beacon was functioning like a well-oiled instrument of destruction, and pride filled Ruby's heart as she watched. She saw JNPR (they had utterly refused to change their name) holding the flank of the retreat. Nora crushed grimm after grimm with sadistic glee, while Ren covered her back with expert gunfire and lethal blade work. Jaune fought beside them, an unyielding and silent paladin, cutting down everything that dared oppose him. For him, every fight was personal. CRDL and their soldiers joined them, and the seven hunters fought in a calm and measured retreat towards the extraction point.

A scream from the mine jerked her attention back to the immediate situation. Yang flew into the doorway, spinning head over heels. She was back on her feet immediately, eyes flaring brilliant crimson. A red boarbatusk the size of a truck burst into view, hooking the blond huntress with a giant tusk and flinging her out of the mine. She landed heavily in the dust not 20 feet of Ruby.

"Yang!" Ruby reach one hand out as if she could still help her sister.

Yang slammed a fist down into the ground as she jumped back to her feet, squaring up on the monster as it tucked its head and rolled forward.

Ruby closed her eyes. There was no way that her sister, strong as she was, could stand up to the onslaught. The boarbatusk would roll right over the top of her, and Ruby and her medic would be next. Ruby didn't want the last thing she ever saw to be her older sister being ground into paste.

There was a horrible wet crunch, and gore splattered across Ruby's face. Ruby braced, expecting to feel crushing weight and sharp tusks, but nothing came. She cautiously open one eye, and saw Yang still standing. But standing in front of Yang was a new figure, a giant green armored hunter, and an outstreched bronze sword in his hand.

Yatsuhashi nodded to Yang, then charged forward into the mine. Fox Alistair and Velvet Scarletina flashed past Ruby, followed by Coco Adel at a more leisurely pace. Ruby exhaled, letting her head rest against the medic's arm as he pulled her towards Vulture 7. Her team would be okay now.

The medic leaned back towards her as they reached the bullhead. "They'll take you from here!" he shouted over the idling engines. "Your team will be on the next bird out!" He helped Ruby stand, and another soldier helped her through the door. The hatch closed behind her, and the engines roared.

Ruby fell into a jump seat and dug into her corset pocket as the bullhead climbed away from the mine to join the other circling overhead. A member of the flight crew came over with the first aid kit, but she pushed him away. Fortunately for her, there were two other casualties in the bullhead with them, and they were worse off than her.

As the flight medic tended to the others, Ruby found her precious vials of drugs. She dumped a generous pinch of the angel dust into her hand and licked it off. It felt like fire in her mouth, and burned all the way down, but the pain that racked her body instantly receded. A few drops of the adrenaline drove the fogginess from her mind like the morning sun burning off mist. She gave the vials of race and hash oil a couple of generous licks, and then dropped all of it in her pocket. She hummed with artificial energy, as the drugs forced her battered body respond. Ruby would have never dreamed of this kind of self-abuse a few months ago, but now, what difference does it make? She had to be functional. The battle was not over, the next stop was Guilliman Pass. If she couldn't fight, then she could at least help with the dust.

Driving herself from her seat, she crossed the bullhead to where a technician was filling dust carbine magazines with the unrefined powder. As she leaned down to help him, the bullhead shook with a tremendous impact.

"Nevermore!" somebody screamed. A second jarring blow hit them from behind, and the bullhead listed dangerously. A powerful bang resounded against the cargo ramp door, and a second later a long red talon punched straight through the metal. As Ruby stared in horror, the entire back hatch of the bullhead was ripped free, the sudden, catastrophic blast of air sucking the flight medic and the two injured men straight out into empty space. A red nevermore hung off the tail of the aircraft, and was trying to make its way inside. Cresent Rose lay out of reach. Thinking quickly, Ruby grabbed a dust carbine and one of the magazines the technician had just prepped. She was still a huntress, and she could still fight.

"Die!" In a fluid motion, she leveled the carbine and squeezed the trigger. Normally, a dust carbine would launch a single, small, high-velocity projectile. But when Ruby squeezed the trigger, the weapon in her hand kicked like a living thing, and a 2-foot blast of flame exploded from the muzzle. A searing ball of energy tore through the nevermore's shoulder, blasting a wing clean off. Ruby's stared in amazement as the grimm fell away, plummeting to its death a thousand feet below. Hope rose in her chest as she lowered the smoking gun. Oobleck was right. With weapons like this, the soldiers of Vale stood a chance. They could win, destroy the horde, and save the kingdom. Gripping the side of the cargo bay, Ruby hurried to where the ramp had been and looked down.

The hope died.

The mountain below her crawled with grimm. As the last of the bullheads escaped Grayrock Mountain, Ruby could see the true scale of the threat they faced. Grimm poured from the caves like ants, swarming over the mine. And this was only a fraction of the numbers still below ground. The dust had changed them, and now an apocalypse of red grimm was headed for the army at the Guilliman Pass. Protect Thunderbolt or not, they had no chance. They would all die. A lump rose in Ruby's throat as she thought of her friends, torn to pieces and trampled into the mud, their blood poured out like water in a futile attempt to buy time.

And in that instant, Ruby knew exactly what she had to do.

* * *

"Surely one possessed of such an indomitable will to survive was placed in your position for a reason. Every one of us has a part to play, and yours is not finished yet."

"Hold your fire, you dolt. A stray shot with this much dust ore around could turn this entire mountain into a volcano!"

* * *

Tossing the dust carbine aside, Ruby dove across the cargo bay and grabbed Crescent Rose. Jamming her hand into her pocket, she ripped out the vials of drugs. Her aura hadn't yet began to recover, and she could not afford to wait. She turned the vial of angel dust bottom up, and let the powder flow down her throat. Warm numbness tickled her limbs as the drugs did their work. She did the same with the hash oil and the race. Under normal conditions, this type of overdosing would have been a death sentence, but Ruby didn't care, she only needed a few minutes.

"Wait, what are you doing? Stop!" The man who had been working with the dust reached out for her as she turned and jogged back towards the ramp, but Ruby took no time to explain. She took a deep breath, gathered herself, and stepped out of the back of the bullhead.

The air felt crisp and clean and she fell. As Ruby hurtled back towards Grayrock Mountain, absolute clarity of purpose filled her mind, driving back the doubts and fears of the previous weeks. Her mission was clear. Her entire life had led to this moment. She would do what she could, and give her sister, her team, and the men and women who stood with them a chance to fight another day.

The massive overdose of race seemed to make everything slow down. As the ground neared, Ruby turned Crescent Rose downwards, and braced herself for impact. A rapid fire volley of shots slowed her decent, and she landed with a heavy but survivable fall. She should have felt pain as her left ankle twisted under her to an unnatural angle, but she didn't. The drugs saw to that.

She keyed her earpiece one last time. "Ruby Rose to team RWBY. I hereby relinquish leadership to Weiss Schnee. Fight well. It's been an honor. Ruby out."

"Wait! Ruby! What are you..." Yang's panicked reply was cut off as Ruby jerked the earpiece out, and tossed it behind her. There was no time for goodbyes. This was what being a huntress was all about. It was unblinking self-sacrifice for the good of those you had sworn to defend. Glory, honor, survival itself, all these came second to the mission.

Ruby took a step forward, beginning her final charge. Her ankle felt strangely soft under her, but it would last long enough. She took another step, then another, and as she did, something churned inside of her, like a rusty engine forced back to life. Her aura stirred.

Pain lanced behind her eyes, devastating even through the protective at fog of the angel dust. The aura she so desperately needed to protect her was also killing her, once again forcing her eyes to pump out the radioactive dust. Ruby fought the building pressure in her head as her walk turn into a jog, and then into a sprint. Less than a hundred and fifty yards separated her from the entrance to the mine.

The grimm spotted her. With a bestial howl, a pack of beowolves turned and moved to surround her. Ruby thought back to that winter on Patch, to the first time she had faced grimm alone. It had been beowolves that time too. Calling on what little aura she had, Ruby triggered her semblance and blasted forward in a shower of petals. The beast never had a chance to duck, and Ruby's scythe tore it in half at the waist. She shot past the rest of the pack. There was no time to fight, and if she succeeded it wouldn't matter anyway.

Ruby let her semblance drop as she reached the mine. The stress was too much for her body. Blood poured from her nose like a faucet. Her eyes pounded and throbbed, and she was sure that without the drugs she would have long ago succumbed to their effect. She ran through the huge door, gasping and staggering.

Grimm were everywhere. They swarmed after her from outside, and lined the loading dock as she burst in. A giant ursa raised its head from where it was feeding on a fallen VDF soldier, and took a clumsy swipe at the intruder. Ruby ducked, but five more grimm came at her, and ten more behind them. She couldn't possibly fight her way through. Calling on everything she had, she forced her semblance one more time.

Everything blurred. Ruby had been moving at superhuman speeds ever since she unlocked her semblance at age eleven, but now her years of practice deserted her. Her right foot caught a discarded rifle, and she stumbled out of control. With a ringing impact, she ricocheted off the frame of the door to the elevator shaft.

Ruby watched concrete grind past her face as she slid across the floor. She could feel what little aura she had managed to regenerate stressed to the breaking point. "Focus! I can't give in, not now!"

Her head pounded as she fought to stand. Grimm closed in from all sides. There was no way out. It was over. Taking one last desperate gamble, she hurled herself forward onto the elevator gangway. She felt claws tear through her cape, and the beloved gift from her mother was ripped from her shoulders. Diving off the end of the walkway, she hooked the elevator cable with Cresent Rose. Sparks showered around her as the hardened blade of her scythe ground along the thick cable, but her descent was slowed sufficiently to allow her to land safely on top of the wrecked elevator carriage her team had fought in not 20 minutes before.

"Ok, Ruby. Breathe. Breathe." The frustrated roars of the grimm echoed above her, and more waited below. The pressure behind her eyes was building, inexorably driven by her low aura and bodily exertion. Time was running out. Breathing deeply, Ruby glanced around for options. The spiral road was too far away for a jump in her condition, and it was full of grimm anyway. She was about to start climbing down the structure of the elevator tower when the problem resolved itself for her.

The press of grimm above her finally got too close to the edge, and a creep was shoved over by the monsters behind it. Howling madly, it crashed onto the ruined elevator, before bouncing off and plummeting away. Unable to take anymore, the elevator gave way with a shriek of tortured metal.

Ruby threw herself flat on the roof of the car as it careened down. Sparks flew as the emergency brakes tried and failed to stop the descent. Accelerating all the way, it hit the bottom of the shaft for the crash of breaking steel and shattering rock.

"Oof." Ruby rolled over, and struggled to her feet. "Well, that could have gone worse than it did." The grimm around the elevator recovered quickly, sensing prey close at hand. As they surged towards the wreck, Ruby braced herself for the last struggle. Her objective was within sight.

She tried to call on her semblance, hoping to rush through the gathering mob and into the mine before they could stop her. But her body was too week, her aura too low, and her semblance slipped away, like a greased rope at her fingertips. Digging in her pocket as the grimm approached, she withdrew the last vial. Inside was enough pure adrenaline to kill Nora Valkyrie, if such a thing was even possible. Ruby jerked the cap off, tossed it away, and drained the contents down her throat. Instantly, her body was on fire. With a shriek of pain and rage, she threw herself off the elevator car and into the horde.

It was all a blur. Ruby fought like a cornered animal, hacking and slashing with wild abandon in all directions. Her body, pushed beyond its limits by the drugs in her system, begged to be allowed to give up and die. Her mind, filled with fanatical determination to see her mission through, refused to allow it. She could feel the blade of her weapon cutting, but her vision was too far gone to see what was happening around her. Indistinct shapes rose and fell, and she pushed doggedly towards the gaping dark hole of the door. Her hands, trembling with exhaustion and unnatural energy, hung on to her weapon with a death grip.

A whirlwind of red in a sea of black. Unbreakable will versus impossible odds. The circle of claws and fangs drew tighter, and the flame that held back the dark guttered. Ruby didn't even feel the first blow, as a beowolf laid her back open with a glancing blow. She felt the second, as a deathstalker finished off her left ankle with a stinging blow. With a cry of desperation, the young huntress fell backwards.

The beowolf alpha was on her in the blink of an eye, raising one powerful arm to strike fatal blow. She held up her weapon to parry the strike, and she felt her right arm break as the blow ripped Crescent Rose from her grasp.

"No! No! I was so close!" Desperate regret filled her mind as the grimm raised its arm again. "I'm sorry, Yang. I tried." She wondered if this was what Pyrrha felt like on top of Beacon Tower, as had she knelt and waited for Cinder to strike the fatal blow. And in that moment, as Ruby allowed her concentration to slip ever so slightly, the dam broke.

Silver fire exploded into the darkness of the mine shaft. Ruby screamed and fought to regain control as her body spasmed and her head burned. Consciousness waned, and the fire went with it. Just like that fateful night at top of the tower, Ruby was left physically exhausted and mentally drained. Then she realized something else. She was alone.

The grimm were gone. The alpha seemed to have vaporized entirely. Others nearby lay dead, already partially atomized. The rest had fled, either stampeding up the road or deeper into the mine. Her path was clear. Crawling to where Cresent Rose lay, she realized her path had always been clear. Everything in her life had conspired to place her in this moment, and to give her the chance to use her life and abilities to save the lives of countless others. She did not begrudge this sacrifice. It was her duty. It was destiny.

She took Crescent Rose in her hand one last time, and used the weapon to lift herself to her feet. The rush of the adrenaline was ebbing, and Ruby knew her life would ebb with it. She had one last walk to make, another 20 feet to the door of the mine. Using her good arm to hold her scythe like a cane, she hobbled forward. The blade scored a deep scratch in the floor, marking the final steps of Ruby Rose. Fifteen feet. She hoped Yang and her father would understand. Ten feet. Her mother would be waiting for her. Five feet. It had been a good life. Then she stood in the doorway, at the conclusion of her impossible mission, and as she summoned everything left in her broken and battered body, Ruby felt nothing but peace and accomplishment.

She pushed her mind and her eyes, calling on the cursed power that she had struggled so hard against. It responded, as if eager to rage and burn one last time. Ruby stared at the veins of pure dust ore, and let go. She screamed, but it was not a scream of pain, for physical pain had long ago ceased to have any meaning. She screamed, but it was not a scream fear, for the time for fear was over and gone. She screamed, and it was a scream of victory, a warrior's howl of triumph, a siren call to all her enemies that death had come for them, and there would be no escape. Silver fire met dust. Exotic elements reacted, ore viens flashed over, the ground shook, and every last grimm under Grayrock Mountain burned.

* * *

"Testing...testing... Is this thing on?"

"We're live right now."

"Right. Sorry. Ahem. Citizens of Vale, Lisa Lavender, VNN, here with the long-awaited update from the ongoing battle at Guilliman Pass. Scattered engagements still rage at the south end of the pass, but reports from the officers of General Alexander indicate that over 90% of the grimm horde has been destroyed, and hunter teams are scouring the remainder as we speak. Against impossible odds, the defenders of humanity have won. Vale will survive. We have been told that the crushing victory achieved at Grayrock Mountain turned the tide, as thousands of the so-called "red grimm" were destroyed there. Bolstered by reinforcements and fresh supplies, our forces at Guilliman Pass were able to take the offensive late yesterday morning, and bring the the fight to the lurking horde. It was a ferocious battle, but after 41 hours of continuous fighting, I can tell you with the greatest of relief that the issue is no longer in doubt. Let us all pause to thank the heroes of Vale, and solemnly remember those who gave their lives to save our kingdom. Come this way."

Lisa turned and the camera followed her. It revealed a scene of total devastation. Not a tree remained standing higher than eighteen inches. Discarded weapons, overturned vehicles, and the bodies of the fallen lay scattered about. Smoke hung thick.

"There! That woman in yellow sitting over on the box. We saw her arrive with the reinforcements. She has been on the front lines for the entire battle, fighting like a force of nature. From where we were, we saw her break entire grimm packs by herself. Let's get a few words from this hero of Vale."

As the VNN crew approached, they got a better look at the blonde huntress. Her hair was matted with blood and dirt. Her body and clothes bore the marks of nearly two full days of continuous fighting. A deep cut marred her well-toned skin just above the waist. She sat on an empty, overturned dust crate, elbows on her knees, staring down the pass at nothing.

"Huntress! Huntress! I just wanted to say how grateful we all are for what you have done here today. Do you have anything you would like to say to the citizens of Vale?"

Yang Xiao-Long slowly turned, and stared past Lisa Lavender and her camera crew. When she spoke, her voice was low and hoarse. "There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day. And because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero... they never get to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain't that... Ain't that a... I'm sorry, Ruby. I am so sorry."

The blond Huntress buried her face in her hands, and with a sob, staggered away from the camera.

"Wait! Huntress! What do you mean by- Ouch! Hey!"

The camera was roughly jerked away from covering Yang. It swung to a tall man in grey armor, a gold insignia on his chest. "Get that thing away from her, you attention whores! Show some respect, she just lost her sister! You want a sound bite? Here ya go. I, Cardin Winchester, hereby declare today to be Ruby Rose Day. Without the sacrifice of the bravest, most determined huntress Vale has ever seen, not a one of us would be standing here right now. There's your sound bite. Now get out of here!" Without another word, the man turned and stalked off in the direction Yang had gone.

"Right. Uhh... I believe she was quoting from the prophet Epsilon. As you can see, today has been hard on everybody here. But thanks to those who fought, there will be a tomorrow. This is Lisa Lavender, VNN. Goodnight."

* * *

Dearest Yang, If you are reading this, the storm has passed. We won, and the kingdom is safe. For now. And if you're reading this, you found the medical file from my Atlas 'vacation'. Please don't hate me for keeping this from you. You couldn't have saved me, and telling you would have only caused more heartache for us all. I want you to know that spending my last good days with you and the team made me happier than anything else I could have done. I got the chance to live my dream, being a huntress with my sister and my friends. Fate sometimes plays us cruel hands, but what defines us is how we play the hand we are dealt. Know that when that last hour came, I faced the end with a smile on my face and fulfilment in my heart. It does no good now to mourn what we lost. Rather, let us rejoice for what we had, and remember the good we did together. I'm at peace now, Yang, I'm at home with mom. Tell the team I love them all, and that I'll be watching. I'll be there when you graduate. I'll be there when you get married, but I promise I'll wait out in the hall that night. I'll be with you every step of the way, and someday when your time comes I'll be there to welcome you home. But don't get here too fast, because the world needs heroes. So go save the world, and never forget your loving sister, Ruby Rose

* * *

Author's note.

Long story is very long. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I apologize for the long gap between uploads, my life has been mental busy in the last month and a half. This is not the end of "Before Their Time". I have at least one more chapter, so stick around. Please drop a review, tell me what you thought about it. I'm always interested to hear your opinions.

All that said, I'm going to begin uploading a new story. If you've liked the content so far, be on the look-out for the first chapter of "It's a Job". This one will be less of a tragedy and more of the adventure type, but hang onto your feels all the same, I make no promises.

One more thing. Someone asked me why they couldn't have replaced Ruby's eyes with the kind of eyes that Penny Polendina had. Simply put, Penny was a robot. Her eyes were complex machines, and just because you can make a machine do something does not mean you can graft that machine into a human body. Just to clear that point up.

Once again, thank you all for reading, please send a review, and I will see you next time.


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